met de hakken over de sloot
niet verder springen dan je stok lang is
In Dutch we have the expression ‘Met de hakken over de sloot’ (literal: with your heels over the ditch) meaning to jump over a ditch and by the narrowest of margins land on the other side.
There is another saying in Dutch about jumping over ditches that criss cross its flat and muddy countryside: ‘niet verder springen dan je stok lang is’ (jump no further than the length of your stick). With an electorate of 51,9 % (or a tiny bit less or more in the final totals) and a turnout of almost 80% (as far as I can find out now) it has not been a ‘landslide victory’ for Hollande. If one thing is sure, the length of his stick will be limited.
Je suis vraiment éffondrée.J’ai voté pour François Hollande au second tour parce que je croyais au changement qui était promis et à la constitution d’un pouvoir irréprochable. Comme je suis déçue de découvrir que François Hollande choisi en chef du gouvernement Jean Marc Ayrault, qui est tout sauf irréprochable ! Ayrault a quand même était condamné à 6 mois de prison pour magouille de favoritisme ! Vraiment décue !!!.
I read this from Reuters on ‘favoritisme’ by Jean Marc Ayrault in his role as a mayor of Nantes: “Ayrault, who is mayor of the northwestern city of Nantes and the Socialists’ head in the National Assembly, received a six-month suspended prison sentence in 1997 and a fine worth roughly 4,500 euros for a printing contract for a local newspaper that was awarded without a public tender.
Responding to media reports on the case, Ayrault said he had taken responsibility for the affair as mayor, but his personal integrity had never been brought into question.
“It was 15 years ago. I have never hidden anything, especially not to the people of Nantes who re-elected me twice. It’s an affair which did not involve me personally but which I took responsibility for as mayor,” Ayrault posted on his Facebook page.
“My personal integrity has never been questioned. There was never any question of personal enrichment or political financing. I am an honest man and I will remain an honest man.”
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/05/10/uk-france-election-ayrault-idUKBRE8491A920120510
Ayrault, a moderate Socialist and Germanophile has been seen as first in line for the job of prime minister under Hollande, who will be sworn in on Tuesday after defeating conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy in Sunday’s runoff vote.
Some French media are speculating that the Nantes conviction could count against Ayrault as Hollande has said he does not want anybody on his team with legal skeletons in their closet.