There has been a great deal of austerity-bashing -- that is to say Germany-bashing -- this French election season . Buoyed by his success in the first round , Socialist candidate Francois Hollande declared last Thursday : `` It is not for Germany to decide for the rest of Europe . '' Vowing to reset Europe on a growth path , he said , `` we 're not just any country , we can change the situation . '' Now he looks set to put his words into action , following his victory in Sunday 's runoff election . French President Nicolas Sarkozy was quick to throw off the `` Merkozy '' mantel early on in his campaigning once he realized that vaunting his friendship with the German chancellor was the last thing his electorate wanted to hear , but it appears to have been in vain . But Merkel stood by her one-time ally , saying she continued to support him in his re-election bid . This came despite increasingly anti-immigrant , protectionist rhetoric from the Sarkozy camp in order to appeal to voters on the far-right that must have sit uncomfortably with Berlin . Much was made of the fact that the German chancellor 's office has made no official overtures to Hollande . The chairman of Germany 's Social Democrat party Sigmar Gabriel called his socialist counterpart in Paris a `` victim of slander '' by the ruling coalition and by Merkel personally in a recent interview with German daily Die Welt . `` She knows perfectly well that it is a lie that Hollande want to scrap the fiscal compact and incur mountains of debt . '' Whether or not she is sure of that , Merkel has made it quite clear that Hollande can not scrap the fiscal pact . Not up for renegotiation , she said . But it was also clear that Berlin recognized the writing on the wall . `` Germany is clever enough to adapt its position to a new political constellation in France , '' said Etienne Francois from the French Center at Berlin 's Free University . `` Germans are not people to improvise . '' And Merkel has already responded with more talk of growth , although she 's at pains to argue this is n't a new position on her part . `` It is important that we break with the idea that growth always costs a lot of money and must be the result of expensive stimulus programs , '' she told the Hamburger Abendblatt . The way out of this crisis has always rested on two pillars : `` solid finances and measures for growth and employment . '' Hollande for his part said if he became president , his first trip would be to Berlin . This is a man who does not underestimate the strength of the Franco-German alliance . Plus he 's of a more similar temperament to the German chancellor than Sarkozy ever was . `` He 's pragmatic , prepared to compromise , accepts budget discipline and he 'll be under enormous pressure from the markets , '' says Claire Demesmay , French expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations . `` Once the summer 's over , once the parliamentary elections have happened , he will have to start saving and he will have to push through reforms . '' For now , expect small modifications to the fiscal pact but no rewrites . `` Germany will be clever enough to accept little changes in formulation in order to help Hollande tell French voters that he 's been victorious , '' Francois said . `` But it 's just tactics . '' Merkel is already talking about more flexible use of EU infrastucture funds to spur growth , a strengthened role for the European Investment Bank . But that is a long way from meeting any future French leader on proposals such as eurobonds or a European Central Bank lending directly to governments , both anathema to Berlin . How far the German chancellor will be forced to compromise to Hollande 's growth mantra may well depend on matters outside France . Greece was also holding elections on Sunday . Greek voters stung by austerity are turning to extremist parties on the left and right . Recession is biting across Europe , swingeing cuts making electorates restive in Spain , Portugal and Italy . The more support Hollande gets from other disgruntled eurozone countries , the less lee-way Berlin has to stick to its tough belt-tightening course . But that is still some way off . Merkel has two crucial state elections coming up in the next two weeks and the Netherlands goes to the polls in September . If the past decades are anything to go by , it is more than likely the Franco-German alliance will remain an anchor of stability amid all the uncertainty , whoever holds the reins of power in each country .
Merkel quick to throw off the `` Merkozy '' mantle early on in his campaigning . Nicolas Sarkozy stood by her two -time ally , saying she continued to support his re-election bid . Greek chancellor 's office has made no official overtures to Socialist . Hollande for his part had said that if he does become president , his first trip will be to Berlin .