French elections
Sarkozy is still hopeful of a win in Sunday's run-off election in France. Reuters

Ahead of Sunday's run-off, French incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy exuded optimism about winning the election despite opinion polls suggesting otherwise.

"I want to convince you of one thing, every vote will count. You cannot imagine at what point things will play on a razor's edge on Sunday," the Economic Times quoted Sarkozy as telling supporters.

"On Sunday, each of you, every one of you, has the future of our country in your hands," Sarkozy said to his supporters, according to KLFM news. "There is not one vote which weighs more than another. There is the vote of each French person, male and female. On Sunday, you can't imagine how much everything will hang on a knife-edge,"

Earlier, Marine Le Pen also failed to extend her support to any of the candidates, which crushed the odds of Sarkozy winning the election. Le Pen surprisingly secured close to 20 percent of the votes in the first round.

Socialist opponent Francois Hollande is appearing confident in public, as if bracing to celebrate his victory.

"I want an ample victory," Hollande was quoted by The Economic Times as saying to RTL radio. "If the French people must make a choice, they should do so clearly, overwhelmingly, so the winner has the capacity and means to act."

The duo played out a bitter duel, exchanging verbal insults during their live television debate on Wednesday.

"I will have no grace period," Hollande said. "The country's problems will not disappear with the eventual departure of Nicolas Sarkozy. He won't take the public debt, unemployment and social problems with him."

"You will not be disappointed, you will not be forgotten," KLFM News quoted Hollande as saying during his final campaign. You will be defended and you will be respected."

The campaign by both the parties officially ended on Friday midnight.

French legislation also prohibits opinion polls and public speeches from Friday midnight to Sunday 20:00 (18:00 GMT) when the polling stations close.

All major opinion polls held earlier have predicted a comfortable victory for Hollande.

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