France feels the thrill of a change of era

Commentary feature on the 2007 Presidential Election in France. Author concludes that 'Would the triumph of Mr Sarkozy or Ms Royal make a real difference? In both cases, the emergence of a new generation at the top will probably have a re-energising effect on a country that is far more dynamic than people assume and whose economy is doing much better than critics contend. French society is far ahead of its political elites. There are vocal reactionary forces. But a majority of French citizens are convinced that structural reforms are necessary. France cannot remain alone in refusing to address its problems. Whoever wins the presidency next spring will have to follow the same arduous path to reform that Germany is undertaking. This is good news for Europe'

The writer is a senior adviser at France's Institute for International Relations.