In addition Chirac was right on the Iraq

Rarely a first round of a presidential election in France no will was much dissected by the foreign press that, almost without exception, expects a change in our country in the aftermath of May 5 and that almost unanimously grows a sigh of relief to the underperformance of Jean-Marie Le Pen.

This interest is largely explained by the backlash in the world of the "dual shock" on April 21, 2002 and the failure of the referendum on the European Constitution, 2005.

"Regardless of the winner of the second round, wrote the American newspaper"new york times", he will announce a new generation of leaders. For the first time, the France must elect a President who will have not grown up during the second world war. "The"International Herald Tribune", which partly incorporates the American daily papers, also points out that voters, by designating the champions on the right and the left, sent a message:"we want to change, but we do not agree on how to do so."

"Immobility".

"The Time" of London, the France finally has a "chance" to change. "But it has the courage" wondered the British daily. The Wall Street Journal also expects a further processing after the departure of President Chirac, who left a legacy "a presidential function weakened by scandals, by its own inefficiency by the inherent flaws of the Ve Republic and especially for his penchant to stagnation in politics". And, for the US daily, it cannot be envying "the task awaiting his successor".

A vision shared by a few newspapers very critical to the France, but in any case not by "The Guardian" in Britain. "In addition, Chirac was right on the Iraq." "Not us", said the British newspaper. Ironically, he asks to "put aside the traditional disdain of the Anglo-Saxons" for the France, "Sarko and Sego at last be elected".

Economic decline

The foreign press as a whole focuses in any case on what awaits the next occupant of the Elysee Palace. "el Pais" believes that its priority task will be to launch the battle against economic decline. Like other dailies, Spanish newspaper sees Franois Bayrou "the key to the final choice man." The "Washington Post", for its part, said in calling the UDF of "extreme centre".

For the another Spanish newspaper, "el mundo", which welcomes the success of the UMP candidate, "Sarkozy be President if he is able to convince the centre".

If "el mundo" is clear on his position to Nicolas Sarkozy, many newspapers are more cautious in choosing between the two winners of Sunday. Even the Wall Street Journal queries. Some supporters of Nicolas Sarkozy say it reform as Margaret Thatcher did in Britain. "He has however not the force of political conviction" that the iron lady. The "Financial Times" defends the same idea. If Nicolas Sarkozy has often borrowed "Thatcherism of ideas", he has demonstrated his penchant for interventionism. And Sgolne Royal According to the British newspaper, she campaigned on a traditional Socialist program, but "it also wants to modernize the economy." As the "challenge" of Jean-Marie Le Pen, it had dissipated.

For the German newspaper "sddeutsche zeitung", it is mainly the French left which "has learned the lesson" of April 21 and has not scattered his voice.