By James Mackenzie

PARIS, May 10 (Reuters) Cheering crowds met French president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy at his first official engagement today, hours after police in Paris faced rioters chanting ''Sarkozy fascist''.

Sarkozy does not take over from President Jacques Chirac until May 16 but there have been clear signs the right-winger's promise of change in areas ranging from labour law to education policy will face significant opposition.

''Mr Sarkozy has been elected. But I don't think that you can consider that there is a general agreement over his programme or that he has the legitimacy to do just anything,'' Bernard Thibault, secretary general of the main CGT union, told Le Monde.

After winning the election run-off against Socialist Segolene Royal on Sunday, Sarkozy left for a two-day retreat near Malta aboard the luxury yacht of a billionaire friend, provoking ridicule and anger among opposition parties.

He returned to Paris overnight looking suntanned and relaxed, and appeared alongside Chirac on Thursday at a ceremony in central Paris to commemorate the victims of slavery. Sarkozy waved to the crowds but said nothing.

Yesterday night, hundreds of police had faced off against rioters chanting ''Sarkozy fascist, the people will have your hide!'' just around the corner from where today's ceremony took place.

University authorities also shut down one site in Paris that was occupied overnight by students who said plans to give universities more autonomy and introduce some selection in student admissions amounted to ''hidden privatisation''.

The students voted today to end their action, which was criticised by the main student union Unef. Protests may now be put on hold until Sarkozy tries to enact his presidential pledges.

REACHING OUT The student protest followed three nights of violence in Paris and other cities after Sunday's election that left hundreds of cars burnt out and scores of shop windows smashed.

Authorities have cracked down hard on the violence and courts have handed out prison sentences of up to six months to protesters. More than 100 people were arrested in Paris yesterday night.

With a parliamentary election next month, Sarkozy has sought to soften his authoritarian image and allies have offered reassurances that his plans to shake up rules on union rights will not be implemented without consulting all parties.

''Reforms are always done with all the people affected by a reform, rarely against them,'' Trade Minister Christine Lagarde told BFM radio.

''The president of the republic has understood that and it is in that spirit that he is reaching out, that he wants to include all those involved as much as possible by telling them: let's sit down, let's negotiate and see what we can propose together.'' Sarkozy's plans rules to force public sector unions to maintain a minimum service during strikes and to reform pension regulations that allow workers in some sectors to retire early with full benefits.

His allies have insisted that the new president's clear victory in the election, where he won 53 percent of the vote, means unions did not have any right to block the changes.

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