Francois Hollande Takes Charge: PHOTOS From Elysee Palace

Francois Hollande is France’s new president.

He got the nuclear codes from Nicolas Sarkozy today at the Elysee Palace in Paris, followed by a brief departure ceremony for Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni.

The peaceful handover of power in a democracy always makes your heart swell a little bit. It beats a military coup, at any rate.

Let’s go to the photos.

A photo of the courtyard at Elysee Palace, with soldiers lined up by a red carpet

The setting: the courtyard at Elysee Palace.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, in business suits, shake hands between formal guards on a red carpeted stairway

After the formal handover: Nicholas Sarkozy greets Francois Hollande.

Photo of Nicholas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, obviously shaking hands for the cameras in a frozen pose

A grip-and-grin for the gathered photographers.

A photo of Francois Hollande on the stair, shaking hands with the beautiful former First Lady

Pleasantries are exchanged. Carla Bruni, the outgoing First Lady, rocks a pantsuit.

All four stand at the top of the stairs, as Sarkozy shakes hands with Valerie Trierweiler

Sarkozy returns the favor, shaking hands with incoming First Lady Valerie Trierweiler. She and Hollande are not married — the first time that France has had a First Companion. (Not counting Francois Mitterand’s mistress.)