republic. these are the ceremonys going on and among that crowd, those who will form the next government. and there's some discussion, some debate over who will be his prime minister and who will be taking the central role among the grandees in the socialist party. but it's worth pointing out that there's not an awful lot

of time for self-congratulation or enjoying the moment, because he has to think already about heading to talk to chancellor merkel. that's the usual route but he will be meeting chancellor merkel for discussions on the euro zone crisis, a german chancellor who didn't want a socialist as france, made fairly plain. said there's a bit of fence mending to do and discussion of what to make of the situation in greece. hugh schofield has been following the inaugural proceedings. what to do out to you? >> well, we were saying before. he did make a nod towards europe and did talk about the launch for the new project in

the euro zone project. his ideas for a flan for growth to comp meant that not replace fiscal pact. again, i was struck by how little there was the speech about of what people were talking about which was the difficulties of reform and budgets and so on. the speech is much more about social justice. which is all very well. but i'm not sure that it's -- madam merkel will want to hear about it. i mean, their minds focused on the euro zone and there was only a passing mention of it. of course this was a speech for france and in a sense, you've got to say what you need say with this. people on the left were expecting these kinds of boxes. but as we have been saying all morning, now comes the difficulty.

after the elected socialist prime minister of france after the election, the difficult -- the difficulties begin. exactly the thoughts that will be going through his mind now, it is how to balance these groups against austerity. can he satisfy his own elek trats so much in the way of renegotiating the pact and so on or is he going to have to come back and say, frankly, i'm sorry. these things are not possible? it's a very important meeting. >> interesting also in terms of the contrast between what francois hollande brings to the table and what his predecessor, nicolas sarkozy. he said i will set out priorities and not dyed on everything, everywhere. which is precisely what sarkozy

would have done. >> he wouldn't do anything as impolite as criticizing him openly but listed all the presidents that had gone before and praised each one but with mr. sarkozy, he said i wish him best in his new life and all this stuff as being a hyper president as sarkozy was called. supposedly, the president of france enacts things with his government, and nicolas sarkozy breeched that custom by becoming this very, very active president. but in a sense, that's something that comes with the change of the presidency that happens since the five-year term came in, and i don't think it will be as easy for former president sarkozy to distance

himself from all that. you know what i mean berlin are watching not in the least because the french president will be making his way there shortly. but also as it will be fascinating to see how he builds his relationship with angela merkel. steve is in berlin for us. steve, it's going to be an intriguing first meeting, isn't it? >> absolutely, david. in a way the easy part of his day is now over. though not down the business immediately. there will be a military welcome and a very nice dinner on the eighth floor of the chancellor's office. but at the end of it all, a new path for europe, people will be saying well, what does he mean by new path for europe . he wanted that to involve renegotiating the new fiscal pact. chancellor merkel says that

will not happen. that's the difficult thing. >> it's the hunt for the holy grail, isn't it? we've got some other breaking news in europe. i'll bring this to you as we see francois hollande doing the handshakes but the euro zone has actually avoided going back in recession with officials reporting flat output in the beginning of the year. most were predicting the euro zone as a whole would trip into points. the bbc's andrew walker is in brussels. surprising figures, andrew? >> yes. a degree of relief. i suppose one had one health warning in that these are first estimates, and first estimates sometimes do get revised. so i don't think we can presume this is the final word that the euro zone has avoided having to

easy the r-word nonetheless a significant relief. i'm sure it must be for four euro zone leaders. some individual countries, they are in recession, italy, spain, greece, for example. but i guess these figures probably reflect that rather than better than expected number we had an hour ago especially for germany. >> thank you, andrew. it's going to be interesting to say the least the discussions between hollande and angela merkel and whether it's a reason to beat the drums a little harder in terms of their own austerity and growth, a point francois hollande has made in his speech right until the end there, to cope with the reduction of -- there at the same time. just want to take you away from the elysee palace because we

have had news in the last naints the former executive rebekah brooks and her husband are to be charged with perversing justice in connection with the u.k. phone-hacking scandal. we had rebekah brooks appearing before the committee on ethics but wasn't part of the discussion but it's been decided she now will be charged. the two said we deplore this weak decision and five other people also being told -- they will hear today if they are to be process -- both describing that decision as weak. naomi, that's the first charge. >> eis that right. this is the reminder that the judge-led inquiry going on into media ethics, there's still a

very active police information behind the scenes, and as he mentioned, these are the first charges since that investigation was opened 18 months ago. rebekah brooks and five others have been charged with -- on suspicion of perversing the course of justice. that's slightly different from the other charges which she may face. she was arrested last year in connection with interception of communication and possible corruption. she has not yet facing charges on those two fronts. this is simply on the suspicion of perversing the course of justice. >> and i suppose in typical rebekah brooks fashion, her statement is feisty, to say the least, isn't it? >> yes. exactly. usually in these circumstances, we get from the crown prosecution itself.

this time we actually heard what was happening from rebekah brooks and her husband and they have come out fighting saying it's weak and unjust and also accusing the crown service of posturing and suggesting they may make a statement later, although they will have to be careful in what they say. because i mentioned before, she is still on bail in connection with other possible charges. >> so i think in one way she will have to be guarded by what they are talking about. >> and francois hollande president. he does have a few ceremonial meetings in the course of the next hour or two before he then heads on to berlin to meet with angela merkel. they have had to hold

discussions so soon because the france president and german county legislator -- councilor are tending to turn to greece. it's been some 10 days since the elections. but with talk turning to tech me to droots tide the country over seems to be gaining currency by the day. our bbc correspondent has this. >> as europe braces itself for more tough decisions, the warning signs are there that greece still unable to form a government nine days after the elections may have to leave the single currency. on monday the red flags of the democratic left party drowned out the national blue and white. with the president now trying to set up a tech me to crat i can president, the leader spoke

out. >> the greek president has used its constitutional trots form a government, he said. i told him that this will be a defeat of politics, and i declared my rejection of that proposal, he said. fears greece would have to leave the euro zone has escalated. markets have responded. but in brussels, finance ministers are not ready to consider the reality. >> i don't envision not even for one second greece leaving the euro zone. this is nonsense. this is propaganda. and we have to respect the greek democracy. >> throughout the turbulent economic times, germany has tried to keep the euro zone focused on austerity. angela merkel knows her country is heavily in the red.

and at a fiscal speech she gave a warning. solidarity towards countries like greece will only end if they say we are not keeping to the agreement. but for how long can government stay in office when the tide of people's frustration is at an all-time high? these are at the anti-protests in madrid. if greece did make an exit, economists fear there would be -- there's already resistance of a the idea of a greek tech me to crat i can government. in the elections the people made it clear they want an end to austerity forming the terms of the bailout deal but have also stated they would like to stay in the euro zone. but as it stands the euro zone will not allow both at the same

time, so the uncertainty continues. >> let's go to paris or athens. got paris on the brain today. in athens, richard gal pin is there for us. we're talking about the potential for a tech me to crat i can government. what's your thoughts? is it going to happen? >> there's some signs that are more possible in the sense that in apart from the extreme left and extreme right that you would expect, they will -- all the key parties are there, which is positive, and the meeting gets under way in a few hours' time. but as you were hearing in tom's report there, already some of the key left wing parties have rejected the idea of a technocrat i can government. and we think also one of the radical left wing parties which

came second in the election is very much opposed to the so of course that doesn't bode well for the form mation of a tech me to cratic government. but i guess it's possible the establishment parties, democracy and socialists could try to look to one other grouping, the nationalists independent greece party which has a number of -- looking to them, but we're not sure if that will come out with a positive outcome. but time is running out rapidly. >> yes. it would be a shock if the uncertainty ended, wouldn't it? ok aaron is here to have a look at the business. and interesting that the euro zone as a whole has said, well, just bucked expectations a little bit. >> yes. some would say, missed it by that much. the expectations where we were

going to see the euro zone slip back into recession for the first three months of this year. but g.d.p. as you know which is basically a measure of everything the 17 nations that use the single currency, they produce, manufacturened then sell, that g.d.p. figure came in at zero growth. if it were negative, -- but once again, they have highlighted this huge divide between the euro zone. i mean, clearly you can see the debt crisis sucks the southern euro zone countries deep into that, they're mired in recession and yet tough likes of germany surprising everybody with half of 1% growth. they are -- they had better export and consumer and consumer domestic side. but some say this could go on

for some time in terms of general whoas and you have falls in business morale, manufacturing, investment and let's remind everybody one in 10 workers in the region don't have a job. >> they are not putting in the bunting house yet. >> no. >> thank you for watching "bbc world news." i'm david eades. still to come in the program, more evidence from those who survived the massacre in norway and the trial of breivik. the authorities in rome have opened the tomb of a gang stohr try to solve a vatican murder mystery dating back almost 30 years. >> she left her home in the vatican city one day nearly 30 years ago and was never seen again. but an answer to the mystery just might lie in this church. among those buried behind its

walls is a gangster called enrico depet is. some believe he may have kidnapped the girl and a clue as to her death pay lie within his tomb. the gangster's grave has been dug up and now we'll wait to see what they have found and the connections with the vatican have given rise to conspiracy theories. >> the single family has been accused of that. and some kind of coverup. but officials here at the vatican city insist they have done everything they can to try to help solve the mystery. today the family saw exhumation in the church as a positive sign.

>>i hope that this collaboration results in the maximum transparency possible. contrast to how it's been in the past. in the past, i don't think there was ever collaboration and transparency in the investigation. but there is still so many questions to answer. >> among them, why did the vatican allow a gangster to be buried alongside a cardinal in one of rome's more important churches. "bbc news," rome. >> you're watching "bbc world news" with me, david eades. the headlines this hour, francois hollande is sworn in as president of france. the first socialist in the post in 17 years. news international's former chief executive rebekah brooks is charged with perverting the course of justice in connection with the u.k. phone-hacking scandal. >> coming up in sports today

with me, katherine downs in half an hour. the blue half of manchester comes out forced to cheer on their heroes. the english premiere league after 44 years of winning the top title. in real madrid, after breaking goal and points records. and then off to the controversial blue then back to the red stuff. monfils is the winner in day one in rome. >> more on our lead story. going back to the elysee palace. doesn't look so huge from there. but with me is from the university of college london near london, obviously, but we're just having a look at these pictures. it is a pretty cavernous room, isn't it? >> yes. contains the several hundred on

hand. >> plenty of glad handing to be done by the president here. just what you made of the inaugural speech. >> of course it was not addressed for france. in keeping for tonight with his counsel with angela merkel. but i think it was also a coated speech in terms of it was -- the talks several times referred to the imperative of unity that france must now unite. that was the 'em pliss it criticism. and inform a sense, now he said justice had to be independent. the parliament also thinks it should be restored fully. and thirdly, i thought inform france the expectations where

very much it was a democracy speech and talking about involvement -- the negotiations will have to have start pretty soon and sarkozy didn't get along well with that. >> thank you for now, very much, indeed as we enjoy the pictures really coming out of the elysee palace. we must recognize move on, because in norway the trial of breivik is hearing more testimony of survivors at the massacre. breivik has -- 77 people, many of them teenagers were killed in a series of attacks by breivik on july 22nd of last year. a short time ago our correspondent told us the first witness due appear was absent

due to ill health. one survivor is reading from her medical records describing the injuries she suffered and she's also showed some pictures of her injuries. these pictures aren't being shown to the rest of the courthouse, but judging from the reactions, it's quite harrowing stuff, and we will hear from the people who survived the cafe where breivik shot 20 people and killed 3. all those that did survive in the cafe will testify. >> it's clear breivik is still pushing hard to have his views broadcast on tv. >> do you think there's any suggestion at all that his arguments are being considered? >> the court is considering

whether to allow the broadcast of his comments. he's allowed to make comments after each witness statement and so far he's done this twice as far as i can recall, but it's not been broadcast. he argues that he should be allowed but we should remember he was indeed allowed to read a prepared statement which is highly unusual. and on the second day, he spent more than an hour laying out his political ideology and lots of people here -- i would have thought most people would think that's more than enough from him. >> slight change of story here, a man in washington state got more than he bargained for in the garden section of his local wal-mart store. he reached down to grab what he thought was a stick on the mulch. a highly venomous rattlesnake bit him.

he will be ok. you're watching "bbc world news." >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> this is kim. about to feel one of his favorite sensations. at shell, we're developing more efficient fuels in countries like malaysia that can help us get the most out of our energy sources.

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