French President-elect Emmanuel Macron says he’ll spend his five years in office seeking to unite the country.
The 39-year-old has become the country’s youngest leader since Napoleon, after winning 65 per cent of the election votes.
Well over half the French electorate rejected the anti immigration, euro-sceptic policies of front national candidate Marine Le Pen in a landslide victory for Macron yesterday.
Thousands of French citizens celebrated across the country and flocked to Paris’s carousel de Louvre to see their new president.
Addressing the crowds in Paris last night Mr Macron expressed his gratitude.
European leaders could meanwhile breathe a sigh of relief that the destructive impact of the far-right’s manifesto on the European project would be staved off for now.
EU leaders including chancellor Merkel and U.K. PM Theresa May were of the first to congratulate Mr Macron.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Mr Macron’s victory was a strong signal of confidence in the future of the European Union.
