Hollande gives greetings message of hope to voters

In New Year Greetings message, French President Francois Hollande, dogged by record low popularity and poor economic record, tried on Wednesday, to bring hope and confidence to discontent citizens, pledging "progress of all the fields and for everyone" in 2015.

"It's a message of confidence and determination that I address you tonight ... France is a great country and we have every reason to have confidence in ourselves providing that we move foreward, be bold and refuse the status-quo," Hollande told French citizens.

"I made the choice of the future while respecting the Republic values and our social model ... My duty is to prepare France of tomorrow and to give everything to our country," he added.

Admitting that 2014 was "a tough year", the Socialist head of state promised to make progressing the eurozone's second largest economy during the new year "in all the fields and for everyone".

"2015 should be a year of courage, action and solidarity" and "an essential year for climate," he hoped.

In his greetings, the French president, scheduled to host a high-profile international gathering on climate change by the end of 2015, said eying a "declaration on the rights of humanity to preserve the planet."

"We must lead the world for it to adopt a declaration on the rights of humanity to preserve the planet. I will do everything to make Paris 2015 conference a success," he concluded. Enditem