François Hollande breaks with tradition

François Hollande, the Socialist challenger to Nicolas Sarkozy in France's presidential elections on April 22, called for a new Franco-German treaty at the opening of his party's electoral campaign on Sunday. The conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung finds Hollande's tactical exploitation of relations between the two countries shameless: "As with so much else in his programme he has still to clearly formulate the objectives of a new 'Elysée Treaty'. Nevertheless it seems he wants to gain support by capitalising on the popular unease about France's economically superior and politically emancipated neighbour. Hollande is shamelessly making use of the Euro-scepticism of many left-leaning voters. He promises his countrymen that their votes will change the power relations and could effectively counter Berlin's resistance to euro bonds and debt mutualisation. That is proof not only of Hollande's lack of experience in government. It is also a regrettable break with the tradition that relations between Germany and France should not be used to further domestic political goals."

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