????上周末的法國和希臘大選所引發的信任危機，可能最終會扼殺歐元，并把歐洲大陸推入更深的衰退。可能撕毀先前的協議？可能再度變得大手大腳？這些可不是眼下華爾街或市場希望聽到的，而且只會促使更多的資本流出歐元區。

????所有這些不確定性都證明我們需要一個更加實實在在的方案來解決歐元危機，需要一個更緊密的經濟聯盟——遺憾的是，這似乎越來越渺茫。在可能達成一個長期方案前, 歐元區需要重新樹立市場的信心。華爾街期待這兩個新政府能宣稱，至少會在前任政府達成的協議框架下開展工作，努力維護歐元。在此基礎上，才可以探討發行“歐元債券”和在歐元區內進行財富轉移。

????現在，市場已經消化和接受了現實：法國下屆總統將來自社會黨，而希臘政治體系已陷入一片混亂。雖然前者在意料之中，后者卻有些令人意外。希臘人民在極度沮喪（這完全可以理解）的心情下進行了大選投票，沒有一個傳統政黨獲得足夠組閣的議會多數席位。

????但希臘政治體系的混亂局面終將消退。一旦明確沒有一家政黨能牽頭湊出一個取得多數票的政治聯盟，希臘很可能在6月10日再次投票。因此，上周末的選舉在某種意義上可視為第一輪投票，希臘人民情緒化而非策略性的投票。

????希臘兩大傳統政黨——中右翼新民主黨（New Democracy）和中左翼泛希臘社會主義運動（PASOK）最可能在下一輪選舉中獲得足夠的選票進行聯合組閣，可能是同一個意識形態類似的小黨派，也可能是兩大黨聯合。兩黨都表示，他們將致力于改變希臘的救助協議，讓緊縮措施變得更為溫和，同時將致力于維護歐元，因此他們很可能采取必要的措施讓希臘留在歐元區內。

????在法國，弗朗索瓦?奧朗德正準備打開社會主義之門。上次，法國社會黨總統入住愛麗舍宮已是十七年前的事了。當時還有人擔心，弗朗索瓦?密特朗總統可能會在他的就職典禮上邀請蘇聯軍隊列隊穿越巴黎的大街。當然，這樣的事情根本沒有發生，法國依然是一個響當當的自由市場經濟體。

????奧朗德相信，經濟增長是將法國拖出當前經濟泥潭的唯一途徑。這點他說得很對。但他同時相信要實現經濟增長，只能通過大規模的政府支出，取消（如果不是全部取消）法國總統薩科奇與歐盟（European Union）協定的“財政條約”（Fiscal Compact）中削減債務的緊縮措施。

????The elections in France and Greece over the weekend have created a crisis of confidence that could eventually drown the euro and push the continent into a deeper recession. Talk of tearing up past agreements and a return to profligate spending is not what Wall Street and the markets need to hear right now and will simply serve to encourage further capital flight out of the eurozone.

????All this uncertainty confirms that a more concrete solution to the euro crisis is needed, one that involves a much tighter economic union -- something that regrettably looks increasingly untenable. But before a permanent solution could ever possibly take root, market confidence needs to be restored to the eurozone. Wall Street is looking for the new governments to say that they will at the very least work within the framework of the agreements set up by their predecessors and that they are committed to the euro. After that, there can be talk of issuing "eurobonds" and wealth transfers within the zone.

????By now the markets have digested the reality that France's next president will be from the Socialist party and that Greece's political system has fallen into total chaos. While the former was expected, the latter was a bit of a surprise. The Greek people voted out of pure frustration (which is totally understandable), giving none of the traditional political parties enough of a majority in parliament to form a government.

????But the chaos in the Greek political system will eventually subside. Greeks will most likely take to the polls again on June 10th once it becomes clear that none of them can cobble up a winning coalition. The election this past weekend will therefore be looked at as some sort of first round vote in which people vote emotionally as opposed to strategically.

????The two traditional parties, the center-right New Democracy party and the center-left PASOK party, will most likely pick up enough votes in the next election to form a coalition government, either with a smaller party with a similar ideological leanings or with each other. While both have said they would seek changes to the country's bailout agreement in order to tone down required austerity programs, both are committed to the euro, so they will probably do what is needed to stay in the club.

????Over in France, Francois Hollande is getting ready to open up a can of socialism. It has been seventeen years since a Socialist party president resided in the Elysee Palace. Back then there were fears that the president, Francois Mitterrand, would invite the Soviet Army to parade down the boulevards of Paris during his inauguration. Of course, nothing of the sort occurred, and France remained a strong free market economy.

????Hollande believes that economic growth is the only way to get his country out of its current economic slump. He is correct on that point. But he also believes that growth can only be achieved through massive government spending and the cancelation of most, if not all, of the debt-cutting austerity measures that French President Sarkozy had agreed to in the "Fiscal Compact" with the European Union.