Emmanuel Macron on Sunday emerged winner after a second round of election beating rival Marine Le Pen to remain French President for the second term.
His victory was celebrated across France – one of which was at the Champ de Mars park at the foot of the Eiffel tower, where Macron supporters waved French and EU flags, the people hugged each other as they chanted “Macron”.
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Elsewhere, a gathering of dejected Le Pen supporters erupted in boos and whistles at a sprawling reception hall on the outskirts of Paris.
Le Pen admitted defeat but vowed to keep up the fight, with the June parliamentary elections in mind.
“I will never abandon the French,” she said to supporters chanting “Marine! Marine!”
The first pollsters’ projections showed Macron securing around 57-58 per cent of the vote.
Such estimates are normally accurate but may be fine-tuned as official results come in from around the country throughout the evening.
But Macron can expect little to no grace period after many, especially on the left only voted for him reluctantly to block the far-right from winning.
Protests that marred part of his first mandate could erupt again quite quickly, as he tries to press on with pro-business reforms.
“We will not spoil the victory … but (Le Pen’s) National Rally has its highest score ever,” Health Minister Olivier Veran told BFM TV.
“There will be continuity in government policy because the president has been reelected.
”But we have also heard the French people’s message,” he added, pledging change.
A first major challenge will be the parliamentary elections in June and opposition parties on the left and right will immediately start a major push to try to vote in a parliament and government opposed to Macron.
Philippe Lagrue, 63, technical director at a theatre in Paris, said earlier in the day he had voted for Macron after voting for the hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round.
He said he would vote for Melenchon again in June. “Melenchon Prime Minister. That would be fun. Macron would be upset, but that’s the point.”
Ifop, Elabe, OpinionWay and Ipsos pollsters projected a 57.6-58.2 per cent win for Macron.
Victory for the centrist, pro-European Union Macron was immediately hailed by allies as a reprieve for mainstream politics that have been rocked in recent years by Britain’s exit from the European Union, the 2016 election of Donald Trump and the rise of a new generation of nationalist leaders.
“Bravo Emmanuel,” European Council President Charles Michel, wrote on Twitter.
“In this turbulent period, we need a solid Europe and a France totally committed to a more sovereign and more strategic European Union,” he added.
REUTERS
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