World leaders welcome president-to-be

World leaders rushed to congratulate France’s president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy tonight, hoping he would help boost international efforts to address issues from climate change and Middle East peace to salvaging the EU’s beleaguered constitution.

The French election results were widely anticipated in Europe, where France was playing a “central role” in EU decision-making, especially on how the bloc should be run in years ahead, and whether it should allow Turkey in as a member, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said.

“This election was very important for Europe, and its result was very much awaited,” Barroso said at EU headquarters in Brussels.

He joined a long list of leaders – including Tony Blair and US president George Bush, who phoned Sarkozy to offer their congratulations for his election win.

Bush congratulated Sarkozy, a staunch Washington ally who promised in a victory speech that the US could “count on our friendship”.

“The US and France are historic allies and partners. President Bush looks forward to working with President-elect Sarkozy as we continue our strong alliance,” US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in Washington.

With 75% of the vote counted, conservative Sarkozy had 53.35% compared with 46.65% for Socialist Segolene Royal, according to the Interior Ministry. Turnout was a strong 85%.

German chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country now holds the rotating EU presidency, congratulated Sarkozy on his “convincing election victory” and wished him “much luck and success”, her spokesman, Thomas Steg, said in Berlin.

A Sarkozy presidency had been favoured in Brussels, notably over his support for more radical economic reform and on pushing ahead quickly with efforts to salvage the EU constitution – meant to streamline the way the bloc makes decisions.

Sarkozy has advocated adopting a “mini-treaty” – rather than full constitution – to prevent bureaucratic gridlock within the bloc, which has ballooned to 27 members and may eventually absorb half a dozen more.

“I have all confidence in Nicolas Sarkozy ... that he acts as a motor in the resolution of institutional questions” of the EU constitution, Barroso said, adding that Sarkozy would make EU headquarters one of his first visits abroad after taking office later this month.

But Barroso also appealed to Sarkozy not to block entry talks with Turkey, which started in 2005, but are expected to last at least a decade.

Sarkozy, unlike his presidential predecessor Jacques Chirac, vehemently opposes Turkey’s bid to join the EU and has vowed to veto it.

In Jerusalem, Israeli vice premier Shimon Peres called Sarkozy a “friend of Israel” and welcomed his fresh appeal for peace in the Middle East during his victory speech.

Sarkozy had appealed for all warring parties in the Middle East to “overcome hate” and called for the creation of a “Mediterranean Union” modelled after the EU peace-project started 50 years ago from the ashes of the Second World War.

In Lebanon, parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri – son of murdered leader Rafik Hariri – sent a congratulatory message to Sarkozy saying he was “confident that the historic relations between Lebanon and France will continue developing on the political, economic and cultural levels during your presidency”.

But other political leaders in Europe were split along party lines on what effect his win would have in Europe and the world, reflecting the stark left-right choice French voters had during the election.

Socialists said they feared Sarkozy would push the EU’s agenda further to the right on economic reforms and on its immigration policies.

“Social Europe has receded a bit today,” said Belgian Senate chairwoman Anne-Marie Lizin. “We see a map of Europe which is very much a conservative Europe, wanting to get rid of social protections.”

Conservative political leaders in Austria hailed Sarkozy’s win. “With his clear victory, Sarkozy has a basis for accomplishing the big tasks he faces as France’s future president,” said Wilhelm Molterer, Austria’s finance minister and vice chancellor.

Leaders also expressed hope that Sarkozy would help heal relations with Washington, bruised over the Iraq war and how to combat climate change.

In Washington, before Royal conceded defeat, US Republican senator Dick Lugar and Democratic senator Charles Schumer both cited their preference for Sarkozy.

“It would be nice to have someone who is head of France who doesn’t almost have a knee-jerk reaction against the US,” Schumer said.