Believe in individual initiatives, in courage, in risk.

Europe and the world are waiting for us to defend the spirit of the enlightenment everywhere.

A romantic or classical view of the French approach would have been to say, 'It's a French company; let no one attack it. Let's block any merger. But the reality is Alcatel-Lucent is not a French company; it's a global company. Its main markets are China and the U.S. Its ownership is foreign; most of its managers aren't French.

Popularity isn't my compass. Unless it can help one to act, to be understood... that's what counts.

Our mission... it will be difficult, it will take time, it will be demanding for all men and women... will be to act in such a way that French people of the Muslim faith are always more proud of being French than of being Muslim.

I will defend Europe; it is our civilisation which is at stake... I will work to rebuild ties between Europe and its citizens.