Emmanuel Macron has won the French Presidential Election 2017

'Everyone said it was not possible but they didn’t know France'

The results of the second (and final) round of the French Presidential Election 2017 were announced last night, with 39-year-old centrist candidate, Emmanuel Macron, defeating extreme right leader Marine Le Pen in a landslide victory.

The first round of the French Presidential election was held on Sunday 23rd April, seeing pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron and anti-immigration extreme right leader Marine Le Pen emerge as the two frontrunners. The second round of the vote was held on Sunday 7th May, seeing the two remaining candidates go head to head.

Macron trounced Le Pen, winning 65.5% of the votes, as opposed to her 35.5%, and is now set to become the 25th President of the French Republic - not to mention France's youngest President.

The results were clear from the moment that voting closed, with Marine Le Pen calling Macron to congratulate him just moments after.

'Thank you my friends,' Macron addressed the crowd in his victory speech. 'What we have done for the last many months has no precedent or equivalent. Everyone said it was not possible but they didn’t know France.'

He continued: 'Tonight, there is only the reunited people of France. The world is watching us. Europe and the world. I will serve you with love.'

Who were the original candidates in the French Presidential Election 2017?

Overall there were 11 candidates who ran in the first round of the 2017 French Presidential Election, with the top five contenders being Emmanuel Macron, François Fillon, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Benoît Hamon and Marine Le Pen. The two victorious candidates to go head to head in the second round were Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, with Macron winning overall.

Who is Emmanuel Macron?

At 39, Emmanuel Macron was the youngest candidate to run in the 2017 French Presidential Election, not to mention the youngest contender in French history to reach the second round.

The independent, anti-establishment candidate with his pro-business and pro-EU views is considered rebellious by some, resigning from his previous position as Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Data in President Hollande’s socialist cabinet to set up his own independent movement, En Marche!

With no experience in running a campaign, the investment banker-turned-politician is the least experienced candidate in the race, but the favourite to win, coming out victorious in the first round.

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‘In a year we have changed the face of French politics,’ Macron announced to the crowd after the result was announced. ‘I want to become the president of patriots against the threat of nationalists.’

Who is Marine Le Pen?

Marine Le Pen, 48, is the President of the Front National, a right wing populist and nationalist political party in France.

Assuming office as leader of the Front National Party in 2011, Marine succeeded her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the party.

Despite her aim being to ‘de-demonise’ the Front National and to humanise the anti-immigration extreme right party, she is a very divisive figure in the UK as well as France after she celebrated the Brexit result and insisted that if she comes to power, ‘Frexit is next.’

What were the results of the first round of the French Presidential Election 2017?

Over 30 million people turned up to vote on Sunday in the first round of the 2017 French Presidential Election.

Emmanuel Macron, leader of the Independent party, En Marche! came first, with 23.8% of the votes (8,528,248). Next came Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National party with 21.5% (7,658,854). François Fillon (Les Republicains) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (La France Insoumise) were neck-and-neck, with Fillon raking in 19.9% (7,126,277) and Mélenchon coming just under with 19.6% (7,011,590). Benoît Hamon (Socialists), on the other hand, trailed in fifth place with 6.4% (2,268,738).

What were the results of the second round of the French Presidential Election 2017?

The second round of the French Presidential Election 2017 saw Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron go head to head, with Macron (as predicted) winning with a landslide victory. Macron defeated Le Pen easily, winning 65.5% of the votes, as opposed to her 35.5%, and is now set to become the 25th President of the French Republic - not to mention France's youngest President.