Nicolas Sarkozy

Perhaps the mistake I made at the start of my mandate is not understanding the symbolic dimension of the president's role and not being solemn enough in my acts. A mistake for which I would like to apologise or explain myself and which I will not make again. Now, I know the job.

I want to wage war against illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, unfair competition, communitarianism, delinquency.

In a presidential campaign, you can't lie. You can't hide what you are and what you want. You can't hide what kind of President you'll be. You can't keep on talking about nothing indefinitely and committing to nothing, you can't keep running away from debate, masking the challenges.

Francois Hollande is an intelligent man. I do not have a problem with him. The only thing is, he has never held office at the state level. Honestly, can you imagine Francois Hollande as president of France? Imagine it!

You are the eternal France, I love you.

I'm ready to become a French person amongst French people, and more than ever I have the love for my country deeply ingrained in my heart.

I love life too much to be bitter.

I committed myself totally, fully, but I didn't succeed in convincing a majority of French... I didn't succeed in making the values we share win.

It's disrespectful to tell the French in the morning that you're going to reduce the debt, in the evening that you're not going to make any savings, and the next morning, after thinking about it, that you're going to spend more.

I hope that France - and all of Europe - we would take an initiative for the year 2012 to be the year of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

I fought for the values of responsibility, and I'm not a man who does not accept his responsibilities.

France now has a new president and he must be respected. I assume full responsibility for this defeat.