Emmanuel Macron wins French presidential election in landslide

Thomson Reuters

Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 presidential election, attends a campaign rally in Chatellerault, France

Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election in a landslide on Sunday, becoming the youngest president in France’s history.

Macron, a 39-year-old pro-business centrist, defeated Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist who called for France to exit the European Union, by a margin of 65.1 % to 34.9%.

Early reports show a voter turnout of approximately 75%, the lowest turnout in many years.

Macron’s reputed margin of victory was bigger than the gap shown by pre-election polls, which projected a Macron victory by around 20 points.

A former investment banker, Macron served for two years under President François Hollande as Minister of Economy, Industry, and Digital Data, but has never won an election. He only truly entered the public consciousness when he rebelled against the socialist party he served and ran as an independent presidential candidate for his En Marche movement.

Macron is passionately pro-businesses and pro-EU. He built a reputation with his “Macron Law,” a controversial reform bill allowing, among other things, longer retail hours on Sunday.

Meanwhile, 48-year-old Marine Le Pen, who lost on Sunday, is famed for her hardline anti-immigration views and opposition to the European Union.

Le Pen has taken steps to soften the inflammatory image of the National Front party her father founded, and she has gained significant support among younger voters who find her antiestablishment and pro-French-worker stances appealing.

Macron will be inaugurated on May 14 when Hollande is expected to step down.

Despite Le Pen’s loss, the election marked a record result for National Front. Le Pen’s 35% was almost twice that of her father, Jean-Marie, who lost to Jacques Chirac in a presidential run-off in 2002.

Macron must now work to win a majority for his En Marche! party in next month’s parliamentary election. The movement is around one year old and will have to field hundreds of candidates in the election.

This story is developing … stay tuned for updates.

Jake Kanter contributed reporting to this story.