Gauthier Rybinki is watching the poll results on a screen with a smile. But no question of his revealing for whom he has voted; he prefers to talk about what he calls a fresh start for French foreign policy. International matters may have been almost absent from the campaign, but now that François Hollande is elected, he will need to show a clear position on certain issues, says Rybinki. Here is what the international affairs expert is asking himself directly following

1- SYRIA: Hollande has clearly stated that he doesn’t want military intervention in Syria, but it will be interesting to observe for how long he can keep that position, and under what circumstances he might change his mind.

2-FRANCE/US: The newly elected candidate does not fully accept the United States’ position on international affairs. If the US continues to be the leader in everything and try to rally the other countries behind it, he will try to change that.

3- AFRICA: Concerning France’s relationship with Africa, Hollande will startfrom scratch. Nicolas Sarkozy said in 2007 that he will put an end to the “Françafrique” - that vision of africa as an ex-colony, and a relationship with the continent based solely on self-interest. This time Hollande will be trying to restore morality in France’s relations with Africa. 

Emma Knight & Moïse Mounkoro