Changing of the Guard

"Make the most of today… And tomorrow. They'll be your only carefree days in this job..."; Nicolas Sarkozy's sole words of advice during a telephone call to François Hollande on 6 May, the evening of his election as President of the French Republic.  The left were back in power after ten years in opposition. They were facing a Europe-wide recession, a disoriented French population, and a still active right wing.
From one President to another, from the Elysée to Matignon, this is the account of a changeover where, beneath the calm veneer, the hazards, ambitions, and challenges facing those men and women now responsible for leading the country are already starting to show. It is always in the first few days that the character of a new power is defined. We reveal the distinct traits of this new power, forged behind the deceptive tranquillity of its initial days in office…