WARSAW — Is France about to exchange the fake revolution of May 1968 for a sham counter-revolution this year, or have the French given Nicolas Sarkozy a mandate for real change to modernize their country?
Why has Sarkozy won election as France's president, and what are the likely consequences of his victory for France, Europe and the world?
Above all, Sarkozy won because, while some who voted for him may have feared that he was "too much" in terms of personality, many more believed that Segolene Royal was simply "too little" in terms of gravitas — an impression more confirmed than dissipated by their one face-to-face debate. Royal's failure, despite her energy and determination, was not because she is a woman, but in spite of it.