.

My prediction: Hollande 53% – Sarkozy 47%

It appears Marina Le Pen’s decision to vote blank has sealed the victory for France Socialist Hollande. The previous Socialist French president was Mitterand. In this election final round, Hollande received the backing of Mélenchon who may be named Prime Minister.

The results will be announced at the top of the hour: Hollande wins 51.9% (Ipsos exit poll).

French left unites with sole aim of ousting Sarkozy

Greece elections probably a major defeat for incumbents

(France24/AFP) – Greece’s two main pro-austerity parties suffered major losses in elections Sunday, exit polls showed, throwing into doubt the eurozone country’s commitment to meeting the tough terms of its two bailouts.

The conservative New Democracy led by Antonis Samaras was the largest party with 17-20 percent of the vote, insufficient to give it an absolute majority and down from 33.5 percent at the last election in 2009, the exit polls showed.

The left-wing Pasok saw its score slump to 14-17 percent from 43.9 percent. The party was even leapfrogged into second place by the leftist Syriza party, which scored 15.5-18.5 percent, up from 4.6 percent three years ago.

A neo-Nazi party, Golden Dawn, was also set to enter parliament for the first time in nearly 40 years, notching up 6-8 percent. The communist KKE scored 7.5-9.5 percent, compared to 7.5 percent in 2009, the exit polls showed.

Both Pasok and ND have said they want the “troika” of the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank to cut Greece more slack in their two bailout deals worth worth 240 billion euros ($314.0 billion).

In the United Kingdom, Tories and Lib Dems dealt a major blow by Labor

(BBC News) – Ed Miliband has told voters Labour are “back throughout the country on your side” after making big gains in the English, Welsh and Scottish council elections. In Scotland they gained a majority in Glasgow, while in Wales their results were the best since 1996 and in England they gained 22 councils. Prime Minister David Cameron said he would continue making “difficult decisions” to deal with the deficit.

Overall Labour gained 823 councillors. The Tories lost 405 and Lib Dems 336.

With all the results in, the BBC’s projection of the national share of the vote has Labour with a 38% national share of the vote, up three points, with the Tories down four on 31%.

The Lib Dems’ projected national share of the vote is estimated to be unchanged at 16%. But the party’s total number of councillors has dipped below 3,000 for the first time since it was formed in 1988.  

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."