Macron admitted, "I know the divisions of our nation that led some to extreme votes. I respect them", he said. "It is my responsibility to hear them".
In this election the sense of shock and anti-Le Pen front proved far weaker.
"Our patriotic and republican alliance will be the primary force of opposition to the programme of the new president", Le Pen said on Sunday. But she vowed to continue her fight. She is the second oldest, behind Bernadette Chirac, if Emmanuel is elected. "It is up to us to confront the globalist agenda of Macron".
Capturing the presidency is a remarkable achievement for Macron, who built his En Marche! movement just a year ago.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said "the victory of President-elect Macron is a symbolic victory against inward-looking and protectionist moves and shows a vote of confidence in the EU".
He resigned in 2016 to set up his own movement, En Marche! or Let's Go!, which later turned into a presidential bid. (Onwards!), which he created previous year, does not hold a single seat in France's lower-house of parliament. The victory in the presidential election of Emmanuel Macron, a pro-European and liberal ex-banker, restrains the wave of populist discontent that triumphed in November in the U.S. presidential elections and before the United Kingdom referendum. Around 11 million people voted for Le Pen, about a third of those who cast their ballots.
After her decisive loss, the National Front also geared up for a name change - if not a makeover of its ideas. For much of its existence, the party was treated as a political pariah. The last time France had "cohabitation" was during in 1997-2002 under President Jacques Chirac, who described the setup as a state of "paralysis".
Unknown three years ago, Macron is poised to become one of Europe's most powerful leaders and the result will resonate worldwide, particularly in Brussels and Berlin where leaders will breathe a sigh of relief at the defeat of Le Pen's anti-E.U., anti-globalization program.
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British combat troops left Afghanistan in 2014 but about 500 remain on the ground to help train local military forces. Forces have killed or captured hundreds of fighters and the2017 offensive against the terror group continues.
After the most closely watched and unpredictable French presidential campaign in recent memory, many voters rejected the runoff choices altogether.
The outcome demonstrates the vast numbers of French who don't believe their politics to be adequately reflected by either candidate and shows the significant amount of political terrain still ripe for the taking.
Le Pen hit out before the polls that France would be governed by a woman after the vote - either herself or Merkel. "The victory of Emmanuel Macron demonstrates that the populist wave can be stopped".
Macron reached out to Le Pen's supporters in a plea for unity after a vicious election campaign that exposed deep economic and social divisions, as well as tensions provoked by identity and immigration. In a tweet Sunday, Trump says he's looking forward to working with Macron, but did not immediately extend an invitation for him to visit the White House. "If Marine sticks in there, she can win in 2022".
On Wednesday, the candidates faced off in a gripping televised debate that ran two and a half hours without any commercial breaks.
On the financial front, European stock markets edged down in early trading as investors had been widely expecting Macron's victory. He countered the right-wing propaganda of Le Pen with what has come to be known as a "radical centrist" approach that has come across as logical, pragmatic and unbiased. His rivals now will be motivated to keep Macron from making further gains during the two-round parliamentary election.
On Friday, hackers dumped a trove of emails from Macron's campaign on the internet in an apparent attempt to damage his candidacy just ahead of today's vote.
Her desire to free France from the European Union and the shared euro currency contrasted with his argument that both are essential for the future of Europe's third-largest economy.
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