Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande put aside rivalry to mark end of Second World War To the stirring anthem "The Marseillaise," a solemn-looking Mr Sarkozy began the proceedings by laying a wreath at the statue of Charles de Gaulle, the former president and leader of the Free French Forces, in a nod to Sarkozy's Gaullist roots. The two leaders, putting aside their differences, then stood side by side in silence for several minutes at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, whose symbolic flame was made to burn brighter during the ceremony. The two men then met dignitaries, including some veterans, before shaking hands with each other in front of the cameras. Speaking to the media following the ceremony, Mr Hollande said that after a "particularly" tough campaign, "it was useful and helpful for the country to know it can still come together ... around the president still in power, and the newly elected one, for the same one cause: the country." The Socialist narrowly beat Mr Sarkozy on Sunday to be the next president of France by just over one million votes. They will meet again on May 15 at the presidential Elysee Palace for the official transfer of power. France's president-elect Francois Hollande shakes hands with outgoing president Nicolas Sarkozy as they take part in a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris Photo: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images