Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidential election because he fought the best campaign. He was the most professional, the most passionate and the most persuasive.
He also read the mood of the electorate better than Ségolène Royal on the left and François Bayrou in the centre. Voters wanted change, as the remarkable turnout of 85 per cent in both rounds confirmed. They also wanted reassurance, a sense of security in an uncertain world.
