Most here know that the idea behind any close examination of any accident, this one in particular, is learning and hopefully prevention. I think the conversation regarding important factors such as intention, willingness, capacity (of both airplane and pilot) are especially valuable contributions to an understanding of what happened and perhaps a bit about why.
Some comments regarding the sidestick, apropos franzl's and Machinbird's comments:
The THS is manually set prior to takeoff. On takeoff, the sidestick is held slightly ND until 100kts at which point it is neutralized. It is moved back to initiate rotation, usually about half-way or a little less, depending upon CG. Sometimes the rotation rate feels as though it requires checking-forward on the SS but the FCOM warns against this and one maintains sidestick position until the climb is established.
As described the takeoff is done in direct law with pitch normal law gradually blended in within 8 seconds of pitch > 8deg.
Once the initial climb pitch attitude is established, pressure on the stick is relaxed. In fact, speaking technically only, one can let go the stick and the airplane will remain in the last selected pitch and bank attitudes. Sometimes that is a reasonable way of avoiding stirring the pot, as the airplane doesn't need any input if it is at the intended attitudes. In other words, no back-pressure is required to sustain the takeoff pitch attitude.
One can fly a SID with small, "squeezed" stick inputs for roll and especially for pitch, (only because tiny changes are all that are required for speed control). Even in turbulence, that is all that is required, because in normal law, everybody out there on the wing is busy maintaining the last selected attitude and stirring the stick only adds to the busy-ness without much effect.
The airplane can be flown to cruise altitude and, again technically speaking if planned in RVSM airspace, in cruise in normal fashion. At high altitudes one is always gentle with any transport and not just "Airbus", due to reduced damping of the thinner air. (Many here know this already...I'm being thorough, not pedantic!)
The airplane can be flown in turbulence, even heavy turbulence, (moderate, not severe - which I have never experienced). One keeps inputs small to avoid stress but other than avoiding small (and I emphasize momentary), inputs due to turbulence the aircraft is as straightforward to fly as any I have flown.
Descent is still 1g flight of course and the airplane can be flown from ToD to landing, and I often did this for the A320, less so for the A340/A330 but only due to long-haul (fatigue) issues and STAR complexities. Again, no stick input is required in this phase.
On approach, the usual small movements to counter slight changes in pitch and bank are normal. To alleviate any impression that NU stick is somehow needed in the approach phase, there is no "back-stick" required until 50' when the AFS feeds in a slight ND bias to give the feel of a conventional flare. Pitch direct law is gradually fed in beginning at 100' while roll remains in flight (normal law) mode until the pitch is < 2.5deg.
In terms of a subtle bias towards "pull" vice "push" due to AFS laws in various flight phases, I have to observe that the required operation of the stick as described coupled with my own experience would not cause a bias either way. The control laws do not engender this sense that one must "pull" most of the time - the notion just doesn't apply.
Unless we know what was intended, I think the notion of "intention" has no "correct" application here in examining what occurred in the first 30 seconds after the UAS event. Clearly, we can intend something with all our being and still be wrong. "Intent" can be informed by knowledge, training and experience, or it may not be, yet one may fully "intend" an action based upon incorrect assumptions, mistaken understandings or shortcomings in knowledge or experience. To me, this is an important part of examining the crew interactions. Willingness to accept another's interventions in such circumstances will be based upon the strength of intent (one's interpretation of what is wrong), and not always (reliably) upon knowledge. CRM is designed to counter the natural unwillingness to let go of one's own assumptions to adopt, (perhaps initially on faith alone), another's interpretation of what is happening. We have all been in situations when we know damn well that we are right, until we aren't, and we may even surprise ourselves that it was possible to be wrong.
Applying a steady, not just a momentary NU control input to a transport aircraft at cruise altitude to a 10deg pitch attitude is counter to all intuition, training and knowledge yet there it is, applied to the point of stall. Why?
What was the basis of the individual intentions which initially overcame and subsequently replaced an understanding of a number of fundamental aeronautical principles such as energy management, high altitude flight, aircraft performance and operational principles of SOPs and CRM? What was more powerful than these?
Post-stall, there are contributions from the airplane which led, perhaps inevitably, to further confusion but in the first moments nothing from the airplane indicated that a sharp and then sustained pull-up was the correct solution to a particular flight problem.
The rapidity with which situational awareness was lost and not regained is also an important area of learning.
These are some of the thoughts that occurred as I read and re-read through HN39's, franzl's, gums', Machinbird's & CONF iture's contributions highlighting the challenges of understanding what really happened.