 |
| The crowds march towards Bastille... |
The café next to the Odéon was hardly full, but it turned
out to be prime seating to discover the news as the crowds started marching
down Boulevard Saint-Germain – France had a new president.
The French have decided, by a slim margin, to
elect a socialist president, something the country hasn’t seen at the Elysée since
1995. While far from the most exciting
presidential candidate, Francois Hollande and the change he could bring to France
have awakened Paris on a normally quiet Sunday evening. From the banks of the Canal and all across rue
de Rivoli, drivers honked their horns, waving flags, ready to welcome the new
president at the Bastille.
I didn’t dare head to the Bastille for two
reasons. First off, I’m no fan of
crowds. Secondly, this is not my
victory. I’m not French and I didn’t
want to crash a patriotic party. But I’m
still excited. As TF1 airs images of
celebrations across France, in Toulouse, Marseille, and throughout the streets
of Paris, I can’t help but feel the same fresh air that blew in during November
2008 when Obama won the presidency. The
newness of it all, the hope for change, the seemingly endless possibility – it’s
all very electrifying.
