Yes, Sarkozy may be the winner - technically - but 10% is hardly a mandate. He needs to immediately reach out to the other side, share power, give them at least half of all committee chairmanships, work with them in a bipartisan way because, after all, nearly half of the French people voted against him.
After all, look at how well it worked for President Bush.
I respectfully disagree. A 10% victory is big by presidential standards. Reagan beat Carter by 10% in 1980 and even the MSM considered it a mandate.