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| Sarkozy 'wins French presidency' | Sarkozy 'wins French presidency' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy has won the French presidential election, according to projections made from partial results. | Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy has won the French presidential election, according to projections made from partial results. |
| Mr Sarkozy is estimated to have won 53% of the vote, compared to 47% for socialist Segolene Royal. | Mr Sarkozy is estimated to have won 53% of the vote, compared to 47% for socialist Segolene Royal. |
| The turnout was the highest in decades at 85.5%. | The turnout was the highest in decades at 85.5%. |
| Mr Sarkozy, the son of a Hungarian immigrant, takes over from the 74-year-old Jacques Chirac, who has been in power for 12 years. | Mr Sarkozy, the son of a Hungarian immigrant, takes over from the 74-year-old Jacques Chirac, who has been in power for 12 years. |
| Police deployed | Police deployed |
| Ms Royal is the first woman ever to have made it to the second round of a French presidential election. | Ms Royal is the first woman ever to have made it to the second round of a French presidential election. |
| Conceding defeat, she thanked 17m French people for their votes, saying she could measure their sadness and their pain. | |
| Thousands of Mr Sarkozy's supporters burst into applause and wild cheering at the concert hall where he is expected to make a speech. | |
| French voters discuss choicesIn pictures Mr Sarkozy has promised to try to reform France to face the challenges of the 21st century, with putting the nation back to work at the top of his agenda. | French voters discuss choicesIn pictures Mr Sarkozy has promised to try to reform France to face the challenges of the 21st century, with putting the nation back to work at the top of his agenda. |
| But the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Paris says he will have to work hard to unite the French, and try to win round those who voted against him. | But the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Paris says he will have to work hard to unite the French, and try to win round those who voted against him. |
| More than 3,000 police have been deployed in Paris and its multi-ethnic suburbs in case Mr Sarkozy's victory sparks a repeat of the riots seen in 2005. | More than 3,000 police have been deployed in Paris and its multi-ethnic suburbs in case Mr Sarkozy's victory sparks a repeat of the riots seen in 2005. |
| French pundits greeted the record turnout as a victory for French democracy. | |