20h00. France stops. The new President is for the first time a woman: Marine le Pen. The Far Right Party celebrates euphorically their victory side by side with millions of French people, abused by empty promises. Last elections in 2012 led to the rise of a populist left to the government. Hollande was the wild card winning an election that was remembered as a national vote against the abuses from Sarkozy. Hollande didn't win - Sarkozy lost the elections. France was chanting new songs of freedom and hope. For 100 days the state of grace lasted but then the harsh reality changed the citizens' point of view. All that was vowed before the elections was clearly not doable, nor were the results as good as expected.
They kept their heads afloat but proved to be as competent and treacherous as their Right opponents. Sooner than expected Hollande proved to be unable to lead France out of the recession but fast forwarding it deeper into it than ever before. Unemployment rose as fast as crime. No choice he took seemed to be the correct one. Soon he became the “gaffer” as he was unable to fulfill his protocol duties as well as take actions, as one expects a President should. He wanted to be normal but turned banal. He tried to look proud orientated and to spend less money than Sarkozy but he did spend more. Taking the train instead of a plane he forgot about the logistics having to be taken with that decision, as much as living in his own house instead of in the Presidential one led to that a whole new security plan had to be made around him.
Soon before the end of his first 100 days the Left he led won the General Elections. They were unstoppable. Exactly as some had desired. Hollande had then the majority for the National Assembly. With full powers they also got full responsibilities. They did all that they wanted with catastrophic results. Only when there was no solution for the global situation they tried to revert to more realistic politics. The Right counted exactly on that, to win the following Presidential elections. But the citizens had enough of the lies of both the Left and the Right during the last 40 years, blaming each other and fate for the problems France had. This year France turned its back to the Right that was already chanting victory for the Presidential election. As expected, the Left lost after 3 years of failures. They hoped to win back their position to what it always had been. Both of the parties actually did. But 2017 was a year of real change. Marine was now President.
For many a bad change was better than no change at all. France was again ruled by the Far Right.
