New French leader: U.S. can rely on our friendship

Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy was elected Sunday to a five-year term as France's president and quickly signaled that France will be a U.S. ally. Sarkozy told his "American friends that they can rely on our friendship ... France will always be next to them when they need us."

Pajamas Media is on the story like dumb on Democrats. probably won't say much more about it unless the situation changes drastically.

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Sarkozy wins in France
Jim Addison

With a victory that could build momentum for upcoming parliamentary elections, Nicolas Sarkozy, the center-right candidate of the Union for a Popular Movement (the current governing party) defeated socialist Segolene Royal for the Presidency of France. Sarkozy is known as more pro-American, anti-terrorist, and reformist than either his predecessors or his opponent. Francois de Beaupuy and Helene Fouquet report for Bloomberg:

Nicolas Sarkozy was elected president of France as Socialist Segolene Royal conceded defeat.

Sarkozy, candidate of the governing Union for a Popular Movement, took between 53 percent and 53.2 percent of the vote against between 46.8 percent and 47 percent for Royal, a Socialist, according to exit polls by Ipsos SA, Ifop, CSA, and TNS-Sofres.  ....

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Sarkozy wins French presidency

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy was elected Sunday to a five-year term as France's president with 53 percent of the vote, projections for France's state-run network France 2 said.

Sarkozy addressed cheering supporters, telling them that his election was the "greatest honor possible."

He expressed his respect for his defeated rival, Socialist Segolene Royal, saying he will be "the president of all of the French."

Royal, a 53-year-old mother of four, conceded defeat in a speech to supporters moments after the polls closed at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).

"Keep the faith, keep intact your enthusiasm," she said at her party's headquarters. "I will keep on fighting the fight that we have started today.

"Universal suffrage has spoken. I wish the next president of the Republic the best in accomplishing his mission in the service of all the French people." ...

It's gonna be a long night in Paris, folks. Follow Michelle's links here and tell me I'm wrong.

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Is It Sarkozy?
Ed Morrissey

It appears Nicolas Sarkozy has won the French presidential election today, as results have leaked to various media groups and to the gathered supporters of the French center-right candidate. Meanwhile, the mood at his opponent's headquarters has turned grim, which indicates that the results have leaked to both sides:

Supporters of Nicolas Sarkozy erupted in cheers Sunday, celebrating unconfirmed reports of a resounding victory for the rightwinger over Socialist Segolene Royal in France's presidential election.

After a day which saw a huge voter turnout at the climax of the hardfought campaign, supporters chanted "we won!" at a Paris concert hall where Sarkozy was to deliver a speech after the official results were given.

The mood was grim at the Socialist Party headquarters where about 300 Royal supporters waited.

Royal's followers sensed defeat in the final days of the campaign. Polling showed Sarkozy well ahead of Royal for the runoff election, with independents leaning towards the Socialist but not in numbers large enough to win. Her allies began to warn of massive riots from the banlieus if Sarkozy defeated Royal, and the threat has French police on alert in the Muslim immigrant neighborhoods.

Of course, part of the reason Sarkozy won -- assuming he did -- is because of the continuous violence occurring in the Muslim ghettoes. ...