What does it mean? It means the Population is finally beginning to understand; that the Conservatives in control are primarily concerned with preserving often unearned privilege; than actually addressing the economic downturn; and indeed, pine for a return to times that include a master servant mindset; and or, more profit earning options for a gradually shrinking UPPER CLASS?
This could be actually achieved, with even more austerity created economic contraction; and exactly the way Conservative thinkers, limited by their own self imposed ideological imperatives, turned a still manageable recession into the Great Depression. Viva la France and Monsieur Hollande. Rhrosty.

Well, we'll wait and see, won't we? Hollande has been around long enough and knows enough about economics to understand the danger of bond market reaction if he initiates high spending policies based on borrowed money. Yields on French bonds will go through the roof and French debt will become unsustainable.

There are reports he has been quietly reassuring Brussels and Berlin that he intends to balance the budget with a mix of increased taxes and spending cuts. Perhaps only a Socialist can institute the economic reforms that France desperately needs. It's a tough ask, particularly as increased taxation of the rich risks a further flight of the few remaining large French companies to eastern Europe.

'also tragically for France his recent racist pandering to the 6.8 million who voted far right National Front in the first round '

Here in Australia we changed our society for ever by allowing immigration from countries with vastly different values and beliefs to our own because apparently, our food wasn't interesting enough. Now in multicultural Australia our food is much better.

Maybe those 6.8 million French people just thought their food was already good enough

Senior Victorian

You raise an interestintg point - Hollande may talk populist leftism, but often notionally left-leaning governments have more success in pushing through necessary economic reforms because it's not seen so much as a self-interested agenda as it is with conservatives - think Hawke-Keating in Australia.

Of course, if he meant what he said, Europe is in for interesting times...

It's all Greek to me!! Do I see France now or do I wait a few years to see Les Misérables live? Either it will accelerate the collapse of Europe as he sucks in huge, expensive loans and thereby doing in the PIGS or he is a liar and only did it to get elected (like our Dear Leader).

Thanks for your comments so far ...

Yes, good point Rhian about the left-leaning governments pushing economic reform, rather than conservative ones. In France, for example, it was the Socialist PM Lionel Jospin that is credited with modernising many aspects of the French economy.

Not so sure Dane that the voters of the far-right National Front were solely motivated by xenophobia, or even concerns about different cultures. Some call this political movement 'nativist' in the sense of wanting to uphold a French identity against the threat of 'outsiders' - many of whom it should be added are not immigrants at all, but French - while others claim that France's (longstanding) economic problems are at the base of the high vote. My guess is that it is a mix of both.