In elections across Europe there has been a rejection of austerity and current policies.  France has punished Sarkozy and voted in a socialist; in Greece the vote is splintered but favours anti-austerity parties; in Britain local body elections have seen a rejection of current policies of cutbacks and gains for Nigel Farrage's UKIP.

None of this makes any difference.

Austerity has been rejected by the population but any policy favoring 'growth', whether by France's Hollande, or by the British Labour Party, is equally doomed to utter failure.

Growth is dead and Europe is essentially doomed.

--Robin Westenra

This is a collection of stories from Europe:

After victory over Nicolas Sarkozy, Socialist says he will fight back against German-led austerity measures

Francois Hollande has ten weeks to avert a French bond crisis

"There will be no speculative attack against French bonds on Monday morning because François Hollande has been elected president, the first socialist to take the Élysée since the Mitterrand debacle of 1981"

Greek voters vent anger towards austerity at ballot box

Parties that passed unpopular belt-tightening measures punished by electorate at ballot box

Splintering of Greece: Will Anyone Rule? Exit Poll Has Anti-Bailout Party in Second Place ("Mish" Shedlock)

Russian police battle anti-Putin protesters

Russian riot police beat protesters about the head with batons and detained more than 400 on Sunday after clashes broke out at a Moscow rally by thousands of people against Vladimir Putin on the eve of his return to the presidency

London win eases Cameron's vote setback

Boris Johnson dodged a humiliating nationwide defeat for Prime Minister David Cameron by winning London in local elections that saw voters angry at Britain's economic woes flock to opposition Labour and a right-wing anti-European fringe party.