French socialist Francois Hollande has won a clear victory in the country's presidential election.
Mr Hollande - who polled just under 52% of votes in Sunday's run-off - spoke of his pride at becoming president.
Admitting defeat, centre-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy wished "good luck" to Mr Hollande.
Analysts say the vote has wide implications for the whole eurozone. Mr Hollande has vowed to rework a deal on government debt in member countries.
Shortly after polls closed at 20:00 (18:00 GMT), French media published projections based on partial results giving Mr Holl