The New President-Elect of France and conservative choice, Nicolas Sarkozy, has left France for a few days of holiday in Malta, after winning the Presidential vote from Socialist rival Segolene Royal. Mr Sarkozy is apparently on the 60-metre, British registered Motor Yacht ‘Le Paloma’ with his wife, son, a small entourage and five security guards. The luxury boat spent the afternoon cruising off Malta’s southern coast and the night anchored at Delimara Bay, Malta. Ironically this is where a summit meeting between U.S. President George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev took place in December 1989. One French website reported the luxury yacht belonged to industrialist Vincent Bolloré, one of the richest men in France. It was not clear whether Mr Sarkozy was a guest or had paid the roughly €110,000 three-day rate plus private flight.

The French Presidential Campaign has been fiercely contested and Mr. Sarkozy needs a break. He also needs the time to reflect on his future government and imminent parliamentary elections when he hopes to secure a majority to push through labour reforms and €15bn (£10bn) of tax cuts.

However his critics are not pleased with his choice of a luxury holiday on a yacht and it’s not difficult to understand why. While Sarkozy is enjoying a break parts of France are experiencing riots over his success. On Monday night 500 youths shouting “Sarko, fascist!” went on a rampage in the Bastille district of Paris, burning cars, looting stores and smashing windows. More than 200 people were detained during four hours of clashes in which protesters threw stones and other projectiles at police, one of whom was injured. Fifteen people remained in custody on Tuesday. Anti-Sarkozy protests also turned violent overnight on Monday in France’s second city of Lyon, in Lille, Toulouse, Nantes and Rennes. More than 500 cars were set alight in cities nationwide. Appartantly about 70 cars are set alight most nights!

Sarkozy, a tough-talking former interior minister, is hated in the densely immigrant suburbs after he described young delinquents as “rabble”. During his time as Interior Minister France exploded into riots for three weeks in late 2005, in which hundreds of buildings were burned and thousands of cars torched. Good luck, Sarko. It looks like you have your job cut out for you!