Erstellt am: 7. 5. 2012 - 16:19 Uhr

Who'll miss Sarkozy?

Reality Check: Hollande and the EU, Greek elections, Putin inauguration, Serbia elections, Mexican youth orchestra takes on drug cartels.

As widely predicted, Francois Hollande will be France's next president. A solid, if not spectacular, 52% of the French voters have elected to put him in the Elysee Palace, so it's farewell to the glamour, glitz and scandal that have surrounded the Sarkozy years, and on with the serious business.

In fact, solid but not spectacular are words that could equally be applied to M. Hollande himself, and that seems to have resonated with the French voters who have, perhaps, tired of Sarkozy's antics, or at least, or his policies.

M. Hollande is keen to stimulate economic growth, reduce unemployment and boost social projects, which must be music to the ears of the French, who have had all the austerity they can cope with for the time being.

But the view is a little different from Brussels. There, "austerity" is the buzzword - austerity, that is, for everybody else - not for the MEPS and Eurocrats. Merkozy has become a double act to be reckoned with. Merllande may not have quite the same "je ne sais quoi" when it comes to kicking the backsides of governments who fail to balance their budgets, and that is causing considerable concern.

In Reality Check today, Vanessa Mock looks at the reservations the Eurocrats have over Hollande, and why Sarkozy, for all his bluff and bluster, will still be missed.

More uncertainty in Greece

The Greek political scene is in chaos today following major losses for the two main coalition partners in yesterday's elections. With no party winning more than 20% of the vote, and the pro-bailout, pro-austerity New Democracy and anti-bailout, anti-austerity Syriza taking first and second place polling 19% and 17% respectively, the chances for a new coalition look bleak. Emmanuel Sigalas gives his analysis of the results and the difficult negotiations ahead.

Putin's Inauguration

Karen Percy reports from Moscow on Vladimir Putin's inauguration as President of Russia. After some protests and clashes with riot police last night, security is high ahead of today's ceremony, but security will be top of his agenda as he returns to the Kremlin.

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Serbia's changing political landscape

In a country run by a coalition, the third placed party in the elections wields a lot of power. This party is often the deal maker or breaker, who can set their own conditions for supporting another party.

However, Serbia takes this one stage further, and the leader of the third placed party in yesterday's presidential and parliamentary elections is already claiming the Prime Minister's job. The third placed Socialist Party, which was founded by Slobodan Milosevic, doubled their number of seats in the parliament. This puts them in a very strong position going into coalition negotiations, to the delight of their leader, Ivika Dacic, who says he will be the new PM.

However, while Mr Dacic might be happy, and clear on his future, things are far less clear elsewhere on the Serbian political landscape. In the Presidential vote, there will be a run off between the incumbent Boris Tadic of the Democratic Party, and the nationalist, Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbian Progressive Party. These two have faced off in the last two Presidential elections, and Tadic won each time. This time, however, in the light of the financial crisis and Serbia's economic problems, Mr Nikolic is tipped to win.

Although Serbia has appeared to be hell-bent on EU membership in recent years, if Nikolic wins, that could all change. Mr Nikolic has, in the past, said he would prefer to ally Serbia with Russia, and although he has softened his line on the EU, he's still not exactly a fan of Brussels.

Journalist and Balkans analyst Tim Judah explains the very complicated ins and outs of the elections, and the possible ways forward, to Joanna Bostock.

Mexican youth orchestra

How a youth orchestra is giving young people in Mexico a new hope in the face of the bitter and bloody drug wars.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.