Newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to govern for all French people following victory over his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
Macron won 58% of the vote to Le Pen's 42%, which was a slightly higher vote share than had been anticipated by some polls.
Macron said in his victory speech:
"I know that many compatriots voted to block the ideas of the extreme right, I want to thank them and tell them that I am aware that this vote obliges me for the years to come."
Macron is the first president in over 20 years to be elected for second term in office, the first involving huge upheavals including, the Covid-19 pandemic, the yellow vest protests, economic decline, and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It had been feared by many that those who did not vote for Macron in the first round would not vote for him in the second round to keep out Le Pen and her National Rally party. However, despite Le Pen polling much higher than she did in 2017 enough voters turned out to see her defeated.
Le Pen has attempted in recent years to soften her image and even ejected her own father, Jean Marie Le Pen, from the political party he founded. Jean Marie Le Pen has been convicted on several occasions for crimes such as inciting racial hatred and holocaust denial, and is widely regarded as a neo-fascist and neo-Nazi sympathiser.
Antonio Barroso, managing director at global advisory firm Teneo, said of the results:
"The Republican front is alive and kicking, but it's less alive and each time it's less alive than in the previous elections. It's definitely a better score for Le Pen than five years ago. Undoubtedly, she has managed to expand the amount of electoral support for her. The question I think going forward is whether she's able to carry this momentum into the legislative election."
European leaders were well cheered by the result given that Le Pen is seen as being close to Vladimir Putin, her party even accepting loans from Russian banks, and is a critic of both the EU and NATO. The defeat of Le Pen and the defeat of populists in Slovenia will be welcome news for those seeking to put up a united front against Russian aggression.
European Council President Charles Michel expressed this sentiment in a tweet, saying:
"In these turbulent times, we need a solid Europe and a France that is totally committed to a more sovereign and more strategic European Union. We can count on France for five more years."
[Based on reporting by: euronews.]
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