Is France a northern European export powerhouse, or a Mediterranean indebted and dependent economy? Yes to both.

The British have been particularly shy about the issues of financial regulation, and attentive only to the interests of the City - hence their reluctance to see the introduction of a tax on financial transactions and tax harmonisation in Europe.

Before you, I engage myself to serve my country with the devotion and the exemplary that this post demands. I understand responsibilities of the job and, as such, I give a republican salute to Nicolas Sarkozy who has led France for 5 years and who deserves all of our respect.

My dear citizens, fellow citizens, French people, this 6th of May, have just chosen change by bringing me the presidency of the French republic. I feel the honor, which has been given to me and the task, the important task faced beyond - in front of you to serve my country.

We're all taking part in this solidarity. The French, the Germans, just like all the Europeans in the ESM - the eurozone's new rescue fund. Let's stop thinking that there's only one country who's going to pay for the others. That's false.

Today, Paris is the capital of the world.

I'm not a lukewarm European. I know that the German-French friendship is indispensable, no matter who the countries' leaders are.