France's flashy, fiery Nicolas Sarkozy is ousted by unassuming Socialist
May 8, 2012
When Nicolas Sarkozy bounded up the steps of France's presidential palace in jogging shorts and shoes on his first day in office five years ago, many French instantly sensed they were in for something new.
In a country where King Louis XIV's phrase "L'Etat, c'est moi" - "I am the state - resonated for later heads of state, the message from Sarkozy was clear: Tradition-bound France needed a self-image makeover.
His idea of change wasn't exactly what many French had in mind.
Sarkozy's meticulously built political career all but collapsed Sunday, after he lost to Francois Hollande, an unassuming and bespectacled Socialist, in France's presidential run-off. Sarkozy becomes the first French one-term president since Valery Giscard d'Estaing lost his re-election bid in 1981.
Sarkozy's inauguration day jog, which conveyed youthful vigor, ultimately epitomized what many French came to see as jejeune, self-centered antics unbefitting of a president at a time when economic troubles and persistently high joblessness were on most minds.
"I take full responsibility for this defeat," he said after the results came out Sunday night. "My role cannot be the same again. My engagement in the public life of my country will be different from now on. I am preparing to become just one French citizen amongst many."
Sarkozy scored 48.4 percent of the vote, according to official data with most of the votes counted.

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Posted by Ken at 4:50 AM