President Emmanuel Macron of France on Sunday in a presidential run-off election defeated his far-right rival Marine Le Pen by a landslide, securing a second term.
He won by 58.55% to 41.45%, a greater margin than expected.
Macron’s victory saw jubilation by his supporters as the results appeared on a giant screen at the Champ de Mars park at the foot of the Eiffel tower, waving French and EU flags.
Macron is the first French president to win a second term for two decades, but Le Pen’s result also marks the closest the far-right has ever come to taking power in France and has revealed a deeply divided nation.
Meanwhile, there have been reactions from the United States and Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was first to congratulate him, singling out their mutual challenge in responding to Russia’s war on Ukraine. US President Joe Biden has also said he looked forward to “close co-operation” including on supporting Ukraine.
While Macron has played a key diplomatic role in the war, Marine Le Pen has struggled to shake off accusations of ties to the Kremlin. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated him as a “true friend” and said he looked forward to a strong and united Europe.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also congratulated President Macron.
“Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron on your re-election as President of France. France is one of our closet and most important allies. I look forward to continuing to work together on the issues which matter most to our two countries and to the world,” he wrote on Twitter.
