May 7 (Bloomberg) -- Nicolas Sarkozy, in his speech after being elected president last night, signaled a shift in tone in France's foreign policy, pledging ``friendship'' with the United States and closer ties with Europe.

``I want to call out to our American friends to tell them that they can count on our friendship,'' said Sarkozy, 52, half hour after he was declared the winner.

Similarly, he said ``France is back in Europe,'' while adding that the European Union should listen more closely to the citizens it is supposed to protect.

Sarkozy's approach marks a change from the policies of the outgoing President Jacques Chirac, who set himself up as an opponent of the Bush administration on a number of issues, most notably on the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Chirac was also held responsible for the defeat in May 2005 of the proposed European constitution in France, one reason why the European Union's attempts to modernize have come to a halt.

``It would be nice to have someone who's head of France who doesn't have a knee-jerk reaction against the United States,'' U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said on CNN.

Foreign policy did not figure much in the campaign between Sarkozy and his Socialist Party opponent Segolene Royal. When the two met for a 2 1/2-hour debate last week, they spent only 17 minutes on foreign affairs, mostly disagreeing on the issue of Turkey's admission to the EU, which Sarkozy opposes.

Election Margin

Sarkozy, candidate of the governing Union for a Popular Movement, took 53.1 percent of the votes against 46.2 percent for Royal, the Interior Ministry said.

Sarkozy's overture to the Americans had been expected by experts who see him as more pragmatic and less ideological about the U.S. role in the world. Like other French leaders, he has frequently invoked the historic friendship between the two countries, while insisting the friends have a right to disagree. Yesterday, he threw down a challenge to the U.S. to take the lead in the fight against climate change.

What was striking in the speech was not the words so much as the emphasis. He talked about ties to the U.S. right after his pledge for renewed commitment to Europe, offering a broad hint about his priorities.

`Better Partner'

``He will be a better partner for the United States,'' said Peter Radunski, a former member of the Berlin city government and an adviser to the former Chancellor Helmut Kohl. ``It was important that he mentioned he wants a good relationship, which for a French president, is very significant.''

Radunski, who was a guest at the Sarkozy meeting last night, said the president-elect's words on Europe were also welcome. ``I enjoyed that he said the word 'Europe,' which in the campaign was a non-word,'' he said. ``I hope it will get us moving forward.''

Sarkozy has favored a shorter, less ambitious treaty for changes in the EU to be submitted to the French parliament for approval, and not voted on in a referendum.

With Sarkozy, a new generation enters the Elysee Palace, one born after World War II, for whom General Charles de Gaulle is a historic figure, rather than a political leader, said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.

No `Baggage'

``He does not come to office with the baggage of a certain kind of anti-Americanism,'' he said.

Sarkozy, a former interior minister, visited the U.S. last year, and stopped at the White House for a meeting with President George W. Bush, who is widely disliked in France. He has also spoken favorably of the U.S. economic model, earning himself a reputation as a fan of ``anglo-saxon liberalism,'' which Chirac has equated with a brutal kind of capitalism.

Dominique Moisi, an adviser to the French Institute of International Relations, said Sarkozy, while more favorable to the U.S. than Chirac, will still chart his own course. His opposition to the Turkey's admission to the EU is at odds with U.S. administration policy, which supports EU membership for the NATO ally.

``Our heart-felt wish is that we won't hear the kind of statements made by Mr. Sarkozy during his election campaign in our bilateral relations as well, both in contacts between France and Turkey and in the EU process,'' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Ankara today.

Afghanistan Troops

More recently, in a television interview, Sarkozy said he would not keep French troops in Afghanistan indefinitely, a statement that came at a time when the U.S. has been pressing its NATO allies to step up their commitment there.

In Moisi's view, Sarkozy's policy toward the U.S. will differ more in tone than in substance, noting, for instance, that Sarkozy has supported, and praised Chirac's opposition to the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq.

During his nine-minute speech last night, Sarkozy also spoke of improving relations around the Mediterranean basin, which he said could serve as a link between Europe and Africa. He made no reference either to the Middle East or to Asia.

He called for a return to a foreign policy based on France's historic commitment to human rights.

``I want to tell all those in the world who believe in the values of tolerance, liberty, democracy and humanism, that France will be at their side, that they can count on her,'' he said.

To contact the reporter: Celestine Bohlen in Paris at at cbohlen1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 7, 2007 05:54 EDT