Hollande’s holiday well and truly over

As post-election euphoria wanes, French President François Hollande returns from holiday under pressure to show that beyond dismantling the legacy of his predecessor he can act decisively at home while grappling with recession in Europe.

Awaiting him are the crisis that still haunts the eurozone, fragile relations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and political opponents who accuse him of sunning himself on the beach while Syria slides into chaos.

Hollande, whose election win was due in large part to voter fatigue with Nicolas Sarkozy, stopped short of promising a rapid economic upturn, arguing that the rich should do more to help restore France’s public finances and that the job could be done without drastic Greek-style cuts in wages or welfare.