France has lurched left. Hollande has promised more government intervention and stimulus. austerity is apparently out.
Hopefully this will transition to the U.S.

Best Regards
vog

Austerity also took a hit in Greece where the conservative government there will probably have to form a coalition government in order to rule effectively.
I believe this means that they will have to soften their stance on "austerity only" to address their debt problems also.

I'd LIKE to believe that this means conservatives are losing their effectiveness in addressing debt problems. In the U.S. we have not reached this point yet and I wonder if we ever will. We seem to lag behind other countries when it comes to certain things - like national healthcare and comprehensive energy policies in addition to dealing with debt.
I would hope that we have learned our lessons after the Bush with tax cuts that increased the debt. Democracy is hard work but it would appear as though it rivals coalition type governments so long as both parties can work together. The results in France and Greece should make conservatives concerned about their own future here - and perhaps be more willing to compromise?

Best Regards
Vog