Hollande off to Germany

My first response?  If the Merkozy solution was evil then Mr. Hollande is delusionary. Things will take their course.

Hollande in Germany after lightning strikes plane

Newly sworn-in French President Francois Hollande has arrived in Berlin for key talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after his plane was apparently hit by lightning.

Radio New Zealand,

16 May, 2012

The plane was forced to turn back to Paris on Tuesday and no one was injured in the incident. Mr Hollande later completed his journey on a second plane.

Although Mrs Merkel has promised to greet Mr Hollande with open arms, there are potential difficulties, the BBC reports.

Mr Hollande believes that growth should be the priority for Europe, not austerity. Whilst he accepts that deficits need to be cut, he wants to introduce projects that will stimulate Europe's economy.

The Germans are willing to see European Union funds invested in infrastructure projects; what they are opposed to is funding growth through extra government spending that drives up debt.

According to official figures released on Tuesday, the French economy showed no growth in the first quarter of 2012. Growth in the final quarter of 2011 was also revised down to 0.1% from 0.2%.

However, Germany's economy grew by a stronger than expected 0.5% in the first three months of the year.

Earlier, Francois Hollande was sworn in for a five-year term at the Elysee Palace in Paris, becoming the country's first Socialist president in 17 years.

In his inauguration speech, Mr Hollande said he wished to deliver a "message of confidence".

"My mandate is to bring France back to justice, open up a new path in Europe, contribute to world peace and preserve the planet."

He said he was fully aware of challenges facing France, which he summarised as "huge debt, weak growth, reduced competitiveness, and a Europe that is struggling to emerge from a crisis".

Following his German trip, Mr Hollande will hold his first Cabinet meeting on Thursday followed by a visit to Washington to meet United States President Barack Obama on Friday.

From RT

Franco-German face-off: Hollande wings it to Angela

Francois Hollande has officially become France's new President. He was sworn in for a five-year-term at the Elysee Palace in a modest ceremony in central Paris. But just hours after his inauguration, Hollande is now heading to Berlin. He'll have a welcome dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and hold a crucial meeting to discuss the Eurozone crisis. Socialist leader, Hollande, is an avid campaigner for measures that stimulate growth and wants a compromise over Germany's focus on austerity. The two leaders of the eurozone's largest economies face immense pressure to iron out their differences. RT's Peter Oliver reports from Berlin.