“No one will be left by the side of the road,” Macron said in a victory speech against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower and a projection of the blue-white-and-red tricolor French flag.
During her campaign, Le Pen pledged to dilute French ties with the 27-nation EU, NATO and Germany, moves that would have shaken Europe’s security architecture as the continent deals with its worst conflict since World War II.
The drop in support for Macron compared to five years ago points to a tough battle ahead for the president to rally people behind him in his second term.
It was an impossible choice for retiree Jean-Pierre Roux.
Macron went into the vote as the firm favorite but faced a fractured, anxious and tired electorate.