Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday conceded defeat in his bid for re-election as French president , accepting the blame for the result . `` I carry the entire responsibility for this defeat , and I 'm going to say why . I fought for the values of responsibility , and I 'm not a man who does not accept his responsibilities , '' Sarkozy said from his Paris campaign headquarters , as members of the crowd shouted , `` No ! '' `` 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 , '' Sarkozy said . Before the election , as opinion polls suggested his rival Francois Hollande would win easily , Sarkozy 's camp had been pinning their hopes on the pollsters being wrong . But they were not . Analysts had warned that the large share of the vote in the first round for far-right candidate Marine Le Pen , who took 18 % of the vote , could mean problems for Sarkozy . Le Pen said she had cast a blank ballot in the second round , and observers expected many of her supporters to follow suit . `` The two remaining candidates are political Siamese twins , so I 'm not expecting very much from the result , '' she said after voting in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont , according to Agence-France Presse . Sarkozy has fought to keep his job amid a wave of discontent over his inability to rein in unemployment . He defended his economic record despite low growth and unemployment at about 10 % , saying the impact of Europe 's debt crisis could have been far worse . France is a key player in plans to lead the eurozone out of its debt crisis , making the election vital to the region . Sarkozy 's defeat marks the latest -- and most significant -- of at least half a dozen European leaders swept from office during the eurozone economic crisis , including the Greek and Italian prime ministers . Earlier Sunday , longtime Sarkozy supporter David Harari said he stood by the president , even as opinion polls appeared to tip in Hollande 's favor . `` I believe the cards were stacked against him , but I want to believe still that he may have a chance to win , because his campaign was reasonable . ... I do n't understand why people do not see the reasonableness of his program , even though it 's unpopular , '' he said . Concerns over the economy , unemployment and immigration have been at the forefront of the French election . In his final address Friday , Sarkozy , of the center-right UMP party , picked up on the debate over immigration as he appealed for the nation 's support . `` I 've always said that France needs to remain an open and profoundly humanistic country , but there is a reality that is that we have welcomed more people in France than we can manage , '' he said . `` I 'm not speaking to the right , the left or the center , this is a presidential election . I am president of France . I must speak to the French , no matter who they are . '' He and Hollande traded insults last week in the only televised head-to-head debate of the campaign . Sarkozy labeled his rival a liar and a `` little slanderer , '' while Hollande accused the president of shirking his responsibilities , cronyism and favoring the privileged over France 's poor . The son of a Hungarian immigrant , who did not go to one of France 's elite schools , Sarkozy had to fight his way to the top of politics by sheer strength of will . The smartest kid in the class , as some describe him , he was not always the most popular though . Mocked for his lavish lifestyle , and a private life that saw him divorce his second wife immediately after his election in 2007 and go on to marry singer Carla Bruni , the French never truly warmed to Sarkozy . He is often known as `` quel q'un qui derange , '' someone who drives you crazy . The reason for their mixed feelings about `` Sarko '' was his apparent desire to ruffle feathers and challenge the established order , with his policies to end the 35-hour week , raise the retirement age beyond 60 and eliminate 160,000 civil service jobs . None of these reforms was universally popular and some , at least initially , were roundly condemned . But Sarkozy believed them necessary and hoped his countrymen would come round to his way of thinking . However , as the eurozone crisis swirled , the president received a jolt in January when Standard & Poor 's credit ratings agency downgraded France from the maximum Triple A status . Hollande launched a scathing attack on the government 's policies , saying : `` We are no longer in the first division . '' Then came the killings in March of seven people , including three young children , by an Islamic extremist in Toulouse and Montauban . Election campaigning was suspended by most candidates , but as incumbent president , Sarkozy was praised for his handling of the crisis . The president received a short-term boost as the massacre diverted attention away from the financial crisis , but the economy and job security were always going to be of most concern to voters .
French President Nicolas Sarkozy concedes defeat in re-election bid . Most of his economic reforms , such as raising retirement age were poorly received . Sarkozy was praised for sure-footed handling of Toulouse shootings . Score: 6