Paris:
Francois Hollande may have won the French presidential elections, but the battle is far from over for him. In fact nothing will be easy for him from here on. Not even taking his scooter out for a ride. Security protocols have already come into force for the President elect.
Mr Hollande will have to make sure France and Germany can somehow work together to tackle the Eurozone crisis. He wants a departure from the severe austerity measures imposed on Eurozone countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Mr Hollande will be welcomed in Germany with open arms. Renegotiating the fiscal pact however, is something Ms Merkel has refused to accept. Mr Hollande's trip to Germany is likely to take place straight after he takes office. An embarrassment or a defeat so early after the elections could cause him much embarrassment.
Even back at home, in order to implement his policies, Francois Hollande needs his party to win a majority in the French Parliament. The legislative elections will happen as early as June. If Nicolas Sarkozy's party wins too many seats- Mr Hollande's influence will get severely diminished.
Mr Hollande promised he would pull the French troops from Afghanistan as early as the end of this year. Next week, he will be at the NATO summit and he may have to explain his stand there.
But before anything else, he has to form a government. Given that the Socialist Party was a fractured one not long ago, with a lot of infighting, it will not be the easiest task.