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Subscribe to RSSFrance's new president, Francois Hollande, was sworn in Tuesday just hours before traveling to Germany for a crucial meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. The trip took an unexpected turn as Hollande's plane was forced to turn back after being struck by lightning en route to Berlin. ITV's James Mates reports.
Newly inaugurated French President Francois Hollande arrived in Berlin on Tuesday, but behind schedule for his first foreign policy engagement, after his plane was struck by lightning.
Hollande was flying to Germany to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel, but his plane was forced to return to Paris after the jolt, a presidential source said.
However, the Socialist head of state was unharmed and took off again in another plane, the source added.
Hollande was greeted by an honor guard in Berlin prior to his meeting with Merkel, which focused on Europe's debt crisis, The Associated Press reported.
In rainy France, Hollande sworn in as president
Hollande favors pro-growth measures, and hopes to temper Berlin-led austerity measures.
In a press conference after the meeting, Hollande said that both he and his German counterpart wanted Greece to remain in the euro currency zone and hoped voters there would signal that they agree in elections on June 17, Reuters reported.
"I hope that we can say to the Greeks that Europe is ready to add measures to help growth and support economic activity so that there is a return to growth in Greece,'' Hollande said, according to the report. "On growth, the method that we agreed is putting all ideas and all proposals on the table and seeing what legal means exist to put them into effect.''
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Leave a Comment:
Could be it's Jehovah practicing for Armageddon using lightning bolts?!
He's the president of a Socialist-run country that's running short of cash. He'd better get used to lightning strikes.
LOL. Could it be a sign from God?
Straighten up and Fly right!
First time the French got blitzed going to Germany !
Jim, well at least not since since WW2. LOL
Talk about being lasered from on high. LOL
Perhaps it was just a 'love ya, good for ya' 'go more left' tap from the Big Guy on High? LOL
Evidently he didn't get the message....
What message is that? Zeus is back and ready for action? Or is that Thor?
From looking at history, it seems there are barely any message at all. Almost none to be exact.
"Lightning". Laser-guided heatseeking "lightning".
Americans can be such hypocrites. Millions of unemployed, millions without affordable housing and health care and $trillions in debt. They also never miss an opportunity to start a war (that they can't pay for). And then they have the audacity to sit back and criticize other democratically elected governments.
Try fixing your own problems and broken government before trying to telling others what to do. Perhaps you might get a little more respect around the world.
Marlen101917,
If it wasn't for the "hypocrite" Americans, you sorry asses would be speaking German. Just remember who saved your asses in WW II.
Umm....France didn't get a democratically elected president. They got a Socialist! Big Big Big difference there chief. Do your homework.
You bunch of Fox brainwashed phonies! You sit back waiving your little flag preaching freedom and democracy around the world until someone gets elected that doesn't conform to your warped view of the world.
HYPOCRITES, practice what you preach!
Marlen - Not our fault lightning hit his plane.
That aside, jumping on your government scrutiny comment - Is this coming from someone who is a citizen in the EU? If so, HA! You would have some courage speaking about the US critiquing your government when the EU is in absolute shambles. Let's talk about Greece and the Euro huh? Or would you rather not?
Warped view of the world? Wow. And we are practicing our freedom, freedom of expression.
@Bringit-871936
I guess you missed the fact that this is the first socialist president in the past 30 years.
Educate yourself more before you speak up about another country you know nothing about.
marlen101917- I'm sure France would welcome another brain-washed Socialist like yourself. You can blame this country's problems on your belief that we "never miss an opportunity to start a war". The fact is that our Socialist president escalated the Afghan war and is burying this country in further debt in order to buy votes and, as About time pointed out, we are the ones that seem to save sorry countries like France from themselves and other tyrants like Nazis. Meanwhile they are giving away their snooty little existence to the Muslim extremists. They deserve each other.
french salute = both arms raised high and in a firm voice with that classic/beautiful french accent declare "i surrender"...
If marlen can make a blanket statement about all Americans than I guess I can do the same by saying all French are cowards and let other countries do their dirty work!!!!!
@jimreaper
Have you ever been in debt before? I don't think so, you don't magically out of debt, you can pay interest for years and found yourself even more in debt.
It takes more money to help get the economic out of depression than to get it in. The private sector doesn't want to spend money on unstable economic, so the government has to spend money to get it out. One may say that this action is "socialist", but I don't see people complaint about it since the last depression.
^^^Cuong - My eyes are bleeding :(
C'mon, don't you know that you can only have the freedoms that the Lefties want you to have and when it's beneficial to them. Freedom of Speech only applies when you are saying something good about them and bad about the Right.
@ Xaziol
Of course you would be. Try to ask people who in debt before and tell that how easy it is to get out. My uncle still pay for his education loan 14 years after he graduated and I myself is starting to pay for it as well.
First, you have no clue as to who I am. Don't pretend to know me. You are so wrong in your Liberal assumptions. Yes, I have been in serious debt, like so many of my fellow Americans. But unlike the Liberal doctrine that is constantly being preached and forced into our lives, I alone, have and am paying my own debts in full. There have been no government buy-outs. I haven't been able to increase my neighbors taxes to pay off my bad decisions. I'm not trying to deprive anybody of anything in order to prosper. You have no clue about me or what this country was founded on and for. Go back to your coloring book and quit interrupting the adults.
@jimreaper
First of all, you know nothing about me as well. I am an independent. I just an educate person who hate people who spout stupid comment like you.
From what I have seen, GOP like to force their doctrines on everyone else, how about women's rights or gay rights?
Color books? Better than your black and white book. What this country is founded on is about freedom and equality for all. You seem to miss that. I don't have any clue about you, but from your stupid comments and clueless response, I seem to have pretty good idea what you are and what you stand for.
GoJoBiden "Makes you wonder why FOX NEWS is the NUMBER ONE Prime Time News Network"
I don't think that's true - just the number 1 in Cable news, but they are competitive with even the 3 big networks.
Actually, the reason is easy to understand. The Country is slightly 'right of center', but all of their competitors fight for the much smaller audience that is 'left of center'.
If I was a stockholder at the other networks, I'd be asking why their focus is on such a small portion of the potential market. If they had a few programs that were more 'balanced', they would do much better. As it is, Fox is pretty much given the lion's share by default.
Explains why the French don't speak German.
Saddam Hussein got a great deal on French rifles: "Like New! Never Fired. Only Dropped Once."
Aww, Denver, did you think of that all by your little self? Or did mommy help you?
jetjoky,
Make sure you consider all the alternatives before you direct inane comments to others. The answers to your questions are (1) No, I didn't think of that all by myself, and (2) My mother is dead. Thanks for your concern.
@Cuong - I stated that my eyes were bleeding because of the lack of words and/or the spelling, annunciation, etc. of your paragraph or lack there of.
When I read your statements, it clearly reminds me of the Asian neighbor on King of the Hill Lol. "No no, you no cut grass right! You do wong!" Lol
There is a not-so-obscure lesson there. He'd better straighten up and fly right. Maybe the lightning was a reminder not to trust the Germans.
Good point. Blitzkrieg = 'lightning war'.
Where in the world "Bring It" did you come up with the idea that Hollande was not democratcially elected? He was voted in my the majority of French citizens....a free society with 19 nationally represented political parties. It takes two rounds of presidential elections the choice is so great. What do you think there was some sort of coup and no free speach now in France? Please. He was THEIR choice. The French have the right and most certainly will tell you exactly whats on their minds.
Is "rain on swear in day" and "plane struck by lightning" a good or bad omen for the socialist president? We will find out in a few years. If France can get out of its economic problems in spite of Hollande's 'tax and spend' attitude, then it is good omen. But if these not-so-good incidents continue, something is suspicious.
maybe a plot by Czar Kozy?
Yikes! He could have been "French Fried".
Bad omen for that guy and France.
Gee do you think God is conservative? I think probably so.
Just like a Frenchie, always retreating.
See there is a God and he's not socilaist.
what was that "eye of the needle" comment his son said?
the source failed to mention that plane spontaneously caught on fire while the earth cracked open and the beasts of hell rose to the surface to claim what is rightfully theirs.
we caught up with president obama at the golf course to ask for his guidance... ' you're on my green. who let you in here?' was his only reply.
Funny post.
Care to share what you are smoking?
He was democratically elected. It's just that the French people wanted something other than a conservative president. Same with us a few years ago. And most of us still do... Especially with the "Hey, we're not conservative enough" nutjobs that were offered up by the GOP.
The French just thought they would try a different socialists to see if he could give them free stuff they can't afford.
@nibor
After 30 years of conservatives presidents, you bet they want to try something new.
French has socialist aspect just like US. Last I checked, almost 40% of US programs are based on socialist idea and they are the one that helping the US right now.
Glad to see France knows whats important! PEOPLE, not profits. Pure vulture capitalism is the root of all the worlds woes right now. Its wiped out our resources, and turned the environment into a garbage dump. We need conservatism alright, resource conservatism. We need freedom all right, freedom from parasitic multinational corporations that put profits ahead of everything, including people..
Its time to end the madness.
I visited France in March and let me tell you PROFITS were on the forefront EVERYWHERE. I'm not sure what you mean by People and not profits. But all the business owners, museums, restaurants, etc., were well versed in PROFIT. And there was no small amount of PEOPLE participating in giving them PROFITS.
And I believe that MSN is a parasitic multinational corporation that exists and is giving you the opportunity to post here from a computer you are using that I am sure was built by a parasitic multinational corporation.
Unless you somehow figured out how to surf the web and post on a blog using two cans and a string.
Oh great so there goes my latest idea! Guess I'll just recycle the cans and get back to perfecting my solar powered flashlight.
Why all the hate? Damn France would be a fine country if you could get rid of Paris (or at least the people in it) and America would be a great place if you could get rid of DC. We are about the same in the end.
I love Paris and the Parisians. I love The Us and the Americans..except when their comments are bigotted,misinformed,arrogant and absolutely not on subject.
About what happened to president Hollande of France,I think it is very very unfortunate for him that his plane was struck by lightning because so many people beleive in ludicrous signs from the sky and will definitely call this a "bad"omen. Personally, I had a big laugh as I do not like socialist policies,in general. Cheers.
Glad you have ur own opinion. I've been to Paris and probably been to many, many more places than you have. Paris is full of snooty douche bags and DC is full of pompous wind bags.
The only good that could have come from this would have been IF Obama had been on board and IF it would have crashed. Two-fer on socialists going bye bye at once.
france!!! Just another crap country that will take our tourist dollars then rag on us because we are better. I have been to many countries, the latest China, and most of them don't like the french.
Some years ago, when a poll in france showed that 80% of the people in france wanted the US to get beat in Iraq, they had a very hot summer that year. About 50,000 of their elderly died because they were left behind while everyone was on holiday. Payback is a bitc@. The stupid, arrogant, unimportant french.
I met this french woman who married a US soldier and was criticizing the US to me for the US going into Iraq. She stated we had no motif (motive). I told her the last time france was looking for a "motif", the Germans were all over france screwing her mother and grandmother.
Marty, you quite obviously do not know what you're talking about. You bring "talking out of one's ass" to a whole new level.
By the way, I am in China (Shenzhen). France doesn't even come up in conversation and rarely in the news.
Marty,
You are a so smart! Brilliant commentary, full of rehashed nonsense. Not one person I know in France wanted the US to fail in Irak, that is the REASoN why they did not want us to go there in te first place. The French were right,you moron. A few hundred elder lies died because none had air conditionning ( seldomly hot enough to warrant it).
No surprise you get your info so wrong, you must be a Fox News viewer.
Hmmm...I was on a plane hit by lightening and it never made headline news. Go figure.
Cyndilo: I was too. During 1967. A cargo plane carrying 4 A-bombs as cargo. Some damage to the aircraft, but the bombs were OK. It was all over before anybody had a chance to get scared. Reported only among the customer.
Even Mother Nature doesn't like socialists.
That's nothing compared to Mother Nature's hatred for capitalists who are responsible for environmental destruction around the world.
For those asking "What would God do?".
God's wakeup call to godless Socialists.
chesty puller is one of my favorite human beings off all time, btw.
Dude,, when you get a NO vote from God your going to want to rethink your options !!!!
Mother Nature should have taken him out before he takes out an entire country with his socialist tax and spend.
Ah, shut up, you piece of shít!