The Socialists continue to do badly, through general voter ennui and anger at the economic crisis caused by the euro; and when the real voting takes place, in the first round of the presidential election, Ben Abbes somehow manages to edge them out. He comes second. Suddenly it is between him and the fire-eating, blonde-haired leader of the National Front. What do the Socialists do? They do a deal to keep out the far Right. They throw their weight behind Ben Abbes, who sweeps to power in the run-off. The Muslim Brotherhood is effectively in charge of the republic, and the process of Islamification is so gradual that the frog (so to speak) does not realise it is being boiled.