In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy came out and made it official.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: French President Nicolas Sarkozy saying (French):<br/> <br />"The French people have made their choice If you trust me, I ask you to listen to what I have to tell you. I have thought about it a lot .... France has a new president of the republic. It is a democratic choice, republican. Mr Hollande is the president of France and has to be respected Let us not be a bad example."<br/> <br />A striking figure on the world stage, at home in France surging unemployment and economic concerns caused many voters to turn on him.<br/> <br />Early polling showed socialist Francois Hollande with 52 percent to Sarkozy's 48. The conservative Sarkozy is the 11th Euro Zone leader to lose his job since the crisis began.<br/> <br />Deborah Gembara, Reuters.
