Emmanuel Macron wins French presidency

Emmanuel Macron, 39, an independent centrist has been elected as French's new president on Sunday in a decisive victory over far-right Front National leader, Marine Le Pen, 65. Macron pulled around 65.31 percent of valid votes cast to Le Pen's 65 who pulled about 35 percent votes. 

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.

Macron's emphatic victory, smashed the dominance of France’s mainstream parties and is expected to bring huge relief to European allies who had feared Le Pen's upheaval to follow Britain's vote to quit the EU.

Official figures showed that about 12.5 per cent of votes cast were either blank or spoiled, while 24.7 per cent of the voters accounted for abstained.

Macron, a former economy minister, who had never run for office before, ran as a “neither left nor right” independent promised to shake up the French political system.

Macron, celebrated with thousands of jubilant,with his wife, Brigitte, joining him on stage with flag-waving supporters outside the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday night as the European anthem Ode to Joy played as he strode out to address the swelling crowd.

"France has won!" he said. "Everyone said it was impossible. But they do not know France!"

His opponent in the runoff, Marine Le Pen, quickly called to concede defeat after voters rejected her "French-first" nationalism by a large margin. 

France president elect, Emmanuel Macron addressing the crowd after his election victory on Sunday

Macron also vowed to heal the social divisions exposed by France's acrimonious election campaign.

"I know the divisions in our nation that led some to extreme votes. I respect them," he declared, unsmiling. "I know the anger, the anxiety, the doubts that a large number of you also expressed. It is my responsibility to hear them."

US President Donald Trump has congratulated Macron on his election victory saying he looks forward to working with him.

"Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!" Trump said on his official Twitter feed.