International
Macron elected French president by decisive margin over Le Pen
Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has won the French presidency by a decisive margin over his far-right rival Marine Le Pen, just one year after establishing En Marche! movement.
The 39-year-old a former economy minister who ran as a “neither left nor right” independent candidate promising to shake up the French political system, took 65.1% to Le Pen’s 34.9%, according to initial projections from early counts.
“A new chapter in our long history has opened this evening,” Macron said in a statement. “I would like it to be one of hope and of confidence rediscovered.
“I want it to be that of rediscovery of hope and trust.”
He promised to “fight the divisions that undermine France” and to “rebuild the links between Europe and its citizens”.
Read also: Le Pen, Macron set to slug it out in final round of French Presidential votes
Macron, who has never held elected office and was unknown until three years ago, is France’s youngest president.
Born in Amiens, he studied philosophy at Paris Nanterre University, completed a master’s of public affairs at Sciences Po, and graduated from the École nationale d’administration (ENA) in 2004.
He worked as an Inspector of Finances in the Inspectorate General of Finances (IGF) and then became an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque.
A member of the Socialist Party (PS) from 2006 to 2009, Macron was appointed as deputy secretary-general under François Hollande’s first government in 2012.
He was appointed Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in 2014 under the Second Valls Government, where he pushed through business-friendly reforms.
He resigned in August 2016 to launch a bid in the 2017 presidential election. In November 2016, Macron declared that he would run in the election under the banner of En Marche!, a centrist political movement he founded in April 2016.
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