Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
Emmanuel Macron, 44, has been re-elected as French president after defeating far-right rival Marine Le Pen in the second round of France's presidential election on Apr. 24.
With this win, Macron will serve as president for the next five years.
This is the first time in 20 years an incumbent president in the country has managed to get re-elected, according to France24.
Despite this, the BBC reported that the far-right has secured its highest share of the vote thus far.
Macron won with around 58 per cent of the vote, as compared to Le Pen's near 42 per cent.
In 2017, he defeated Le Pen with 66.9 per cent of the vote, compared to her 33.1 per cent, according to The New York Times.
European leaders congratulate Macron
Many European leaders took to Twitter to congratulate Macron for his victory.
UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted both in English and French:
"Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron on your re-election as President of France. France is one of our closest and most important allies. I look forward to continuing to work together on the issues which matter most to our two countries and to the world."
Ukraine president Volodymr Zelensky also tweeted in French, saying that Macron is a "true friend" of Ukraine.
Belgium’s President Alexander De Croo put out a press release soon after Macron's win, saying that the French "made a strong choice".
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, also tweeted his congratulations to Macron, saying: "The citizens have chosen a France committed to a free, strong and fair EU. Democracy wins. Europe wins."
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Macron in a tweet which said: "I look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation. Together, we will move France and Europe forward."
Meanwhile, Charles Michel, former Belgian Prime Minister and current President of the European Council, tweeted:
"Warm congratulations dear @EmmanuelMacron. In this turbulent period, we need a solid Europe and a France totally committed to a more sovereign and more strategic European Union. We can count on the #France #5 more years."
Outside of Europe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden joined in the congratulations as well.
Macron's victory speech
Following his win, Macron appeared in central Paris at the foot of the Eiffel Tower to give his victory speech to thousands of supporters.
As reported by The Guardian, Macron acknowledged that a number of French people who voted for him did so not because they support him, but to stop the ideas of the far-right.
He subsequently stated that he was no longer the candidate for one camp, but the "president for all".
Macron also addressed those who had voted for Le Pen in his speech and said that as president, he must find an answer to their "anger and disagreements".
Follow and listen to our podcast here
Top image screenshots via Emmanuel Macron/Twitter.