Sarkozy sweeps to French presidential victory

PARIS: Right-wing candidate Nicolas Sarkozy scored an emphatic victory in the French presidential election on Sunday, trouncing socialist rival Segolene Royal and winning a clear mandate for his economic and social reforms.

There were scenes of wild jubilation at Sarkozy's campaign headquarters in Paris as soon as polls closed and projections said Sarkozy had around 53 percent of the vote against Royal's 47 per cent.

Delirious members of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) burst into chants of 'Nicolas - President!' and hugged each other in joy.

Sarkozy was to make a televised speech and a victory party was planned on the historic Place de la Concorde in central Paris with veteran French rocker Johnny Hallyday providing the star turn.

Thousands of police renforcements were deployed in and around the capital to head off the risk of unrest by youths from high immigrants areas, many of whom regard Sarkozy as a hate-figure since riots of 2005.

On the last day of the campaign Royal, slipping badly in opinion polls, had issued a stark warning that a Sarkozy victory would trigger 'violence and brutality' across the country.

Royal heard the result at her parliamentary constituency of Melle in western France. At the Socialist Party (PS) building in Paris, supporters gloomily digested a third consecutive presidential defeat after 1995 and 2002.

Socialist European deputy Pierre Moscovici said Royal's defeat was a 'a defeat for all socialists.'