Unity vital to world's future, UN chief says

French President Emmanuel Macron urged citizens to end "irreconcilable divisions "in 2018. He reaffirmed that he was "committed to Europe" and deeply believes that "Europe is good for France".

He called on his countrymen to participate in citizen consultations to make Europe "more sovereign, more united and more democratic".

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, also vowed to form a stable government and work with France in furthering the European integration process.

"It will be about whether we Europeans in the global and digital world express our values in solidarity and self-assurance, both internally and externally," she said, "and whether we work for an economically successful and fair Europe and consequently for the protection of our external borders as well as for the security of European citizens.

Merkel added that Germany and France "want to work together to make this happen, and thus help make Europe fit for the future".

President Sergio Mattarella of Italy urged political parties to make realistic proposals to tackle nationwide problems, especially the large number of people out of work, during his traditional year-end speech.

Italy is the eurozone's third-largest economy, but unemployment remains above 11 percent, while youth unemployment is about 35 percent.

"Yet again, I must underscore that jobs remain the primary and most serious social issue, especially for the young," Mattarella said.

Xinhua contributed to the story.