France
Emmanuel Macron was elected president of France on Sunday with a business-friendly vision of European integration, defeating Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist who threatened to take France out of the European Union, early projections from five polling organisations showed.
The projections, issued as polling stations closing at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), showed Macron beating Le Pen by at least 65 percent to 35 – a gap wider than the 20 or so percentage point margin that pre-election surveys had pointed to.
The centrist’s emphatic victory, which also smashed the dominance of France’s mainstream parties, will bring huge relief to European allies who had feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain’s vote to quit the EU and Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president.
The 39-year-old former investment banker, who served for two years as economy minister but has never previously held elected office, will now become France’s youngest leader since Napoleon with a promise to transcend left-right divisions.
Reuters
Go to video
Paris Olympics: With the opening ceremony minutes away, get to know the African flag bearers
01:02
Pics of the day: July 25, 2024
01:02
Pics of the day: July 23, 2024
01:15
Athletes and support teams arrive in Paris for Olympic kickoff
00:42
LeBron James selected as Team USA male flagbearer for Paris Olympics
00:52
French federation files complaint after 'racist remarks' by Argentina players