Xinhua - English

PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy said in his victory speech on Sunday that he was ready to "give everything to France."

"This evening is a victory for France. There is only one France. I ask you to be generous, to be tolerant, to be fraternal," Sarkozy told some 10,000 people in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Sarkozy won the French presidential race on Sunday by gaining 53.06 percent of the vote, according to final results released by the Interior Ministry.

"Millions of French are watching us. Millions of French have placed their trust in us. You must understand that the first people I wish to address are those who did not place their trust in us," Sarkozy said.

"I want them to understand that I will be a president of the Republic for all the French without exception."

The president-elect promised to fight for justice and equal opportunity for all people.

"I want to say to all who suffer from injustice, to all who are not respected, all those who placed their faith in arguments othe rthan mine -- I will be a president who fights injustice," he said.

"I will give each person his or her opportunity ... All must have their opportunity, but they must earn it by work, by personal commitment, by belief. All must have again their personal dignity," he said.

Sarkozy recognized he was faced with "immense responsibilities" but promised that he would not disappoint the French.

"I promised you full employment. I will fight for it. I said spending power is a serious problem. I will fight to make it better. I said that the identity of France, that cultural commitment in the service of the history and culture of France, are priorities -- and they will be."

"France gave me everything. Now the time has come for me to give everything to France," he said.

PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy has won the French presidential race by winning 53.7 percent of the vote in Sunday's run-off with Socialist Segolene Royal, preliminary results show.

He will succeed 74-year-old Jacques Chirac, who has ruled for 12 years. Full Story

High voter turnout in French presidential run-off

PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Voter turnout in France's second round presidential vote was 34.11 percent by mid-day Sunday, the highest in three decades, according to the Interior Ministry.

Voter turnout in the second round in 2002 was 26.2 percent. Full story

France votes for new president in hard-fought race

PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Voters in mainland France went to poll stations across the country on Sunday to choose a new president in a tight run-off race, which pits right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy against Segolene Royal, a woman candidate of the left-wing Socialist Party.

The poll booths opened at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and will close at 8p.m. (1800 GMT), with first unofficial results from exit polls expected soon afterwards. Full story