A Friendlier France???

Right wing (at least for France) candidate Nicolas Sarkozy beat out socialist Segelene Royal in the French presidential election yesterday.

Excerpts:

Sarkozy's programme includes the abolition of tax on overtime, big cuts in inheritance tax, a law guaranteeing minimum service in transport strikes, and rules to oblige the unemployed to take up offered work.

The 52-year-old won the battle to be France's new generation leader in place of President Jacques Chirac with 53 percent of Sunday's vote against 47 percent for Royal, according to official results. The estimated turnout of 85 percent was the highest in 25 years.

Amazingly, Royal's campaign strategy of focusing on her credentials as a mother of four, a woman, and a feminist didn't sway French voters that she was competent to lead their nation. In fact, she didn't even get the majority of the female vote.

Sarkozy made no secret that he was friendly to America during the campaign or afterwards (as long as we do our part to fight global warming - well, we can't expect everything, can we??)

Does anyone else sense a trend here... Harper in Canada, Merkle in Germany, and now the conservative in France??