Emmanuel Macron wins French election against far-right Le Pen

Emmanuel Macron has secured another term as French president, storming to victory against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

French President Emmanuel Macron has stormed to an emphatic win in the French presidential election, securing a second term by defeating far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Macron won with about 58 per cent of the vote compared with Le Pen with 42 per cent. The scale of the victory was unexpected.

His supporters thronged on the streets around iconic landmarks in Paris as election results were released.

There were chants of “Macron, President” as people broke into renditions of La Marseillaise, the French national anthem.

Macron arrived at the Eiffel Tower to give a victory speech about 5.40am (AEST) and said, “A majority of us have chosen to trust me.”

He promised to work for a more just society between men and women.

“We need to show respect because our country is so divided... no one will be left by the wayside,” he said.

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Emmanuel Macron has secured another term as French president. Picture: AFP

Macron also warned of challenges around the world.

“The Ukraine war shows we are living through tragic times,” he said, adding France would build up its military forces.

Marine Le Pen earlier conceded defeat and said she would never abandon the French people.

Her supporters were shocked by the scale of Macron’s victory.

Le Pen voter Francis Pretot told the BBC he was disheartened by the result and warned [Macron] was going to “destroy everything.”

Emmanuel Macron whispers at his wife's ear, Brigitte Macron after his victory in France's presidential election. Picture: AFP

‘Immense honour’

Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte Macron spoke to French television after Macron’s speech, and said his re-election was an “immense honour”.

She was she was ready for another five-year term.

“We all want things to change,” she says, “I wish it with all my heart.”

She also declared her husband had “entered history” and said she was happy for him.

She said Macron had “ambition for France”.

“He will do anything to get there,” she said, “I have immense confidence in him.”

Macron is the first French president to win re-election in 20 years.

World leaders react

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated Macron on his victory.

Congratulations to [Emmanuel Macron] 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,” he wrote on Twitter.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote he anticipated a good working relationship with Macron. “Looking forward to continuing our work together on the issues that matter most to people in Canada and France — from defending democracy, to fighting climate change, to creating good jobs and economic growth for the middle class.”

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull reacted to Macron’s win by writing, “The victory of [Emmanuel Macron] today is of the utmost importance not just for France but for the world.

“Right wing authoritarian populists, often backed by and backing Putin, are democracy’s greatest threat. Macron has seen them off today, but they will be back.”

Emmanuel Macron’s supporters gather to celebrate his victory. Picture: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images

Earlier French voters have took to the polls for the presidential election between centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron and his challenger Marine Le Pen, after a fractious campaign that has seen the far right come its closest yet to winning power.

Mr Macron went into the run-off on Sunday with a stable lead in opinion polls, an advantage he consolidated in the frenetic final days of campaigning, including a no-holds-barred performance in the pre-election debate.

But analysts cautioned that the 44-year-old, who rose to power in 2017 aged 39 as the country’s youngest-ever modern leader, could take nothing for granted given forecasts of low turnout that could sway the result in either direction.

Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron arrive at a polling station. Picture: Ludovic Marin/AFP

Marine Le Pen leaves a polling booth in Henin-Beaumont. Picture: Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images

Lucien Chameroy, 80, said he “didn’t hesitate at all” after casting his ballot in Dijon, eastern France.

“There’s a lot at stake, and I think people don’t realise that if you don’t vote, it’s the street that decides, and it’s a minority that takes power,” he told AFP.

Ms Le Pen beamed as she greeted supporters before casting her ballot in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont, a stronghold of her National Rally party, while Mr Macron worked a crowd of several hundreds before voting with his wife Brigitte in the Channel resort town of Le Touquet.

A voter arrives to vote at the French Consulate in Miami, Florida. Picture: Chandan Khanna/AFP

Turnout key

Mr Macron in particular was hopeful left-wing voters who backed other candidates in the first round on April 10 would support the former investment banker and his pro-business, reformist agenda to stop Ms Le Pen and her populist program.

But far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who scored a close third-place finish in the first round, pointedly refused to urge his millions of followers to back Mr Macron while insisting they should not vote for Ms Le Pen.

Mr Macron himself repeatedly made clear that the complacency of stay-at-home voters precipitated the shocks of the 2016 elections that led to Brexit in Britain and Donald Trump’s election in the United States.

Emmanuel Macron greets supporters in Le Touquet, northern France. Picture: Gonzalo Fuentes/AFP

High stakes

The stakes are huge for both France and Europe, with Mr Macron pledging reform and tighter EU integration while Ms Le Pen, who would be France’s first female president, insisted the bloc should be modified in what opponents describe as “Frexit” by another name.

Mr Macron has also opposed Ms Le Pen’s plan to make it illegal to wear the Muslim headscarf in public, though her team has walked back on the proposal ahead of the vote, saying it was no longer a “priority”.

They have also clashed on Russia, with Mr Macron seeking to portray Ms Le Pen as incapable of dealing with the invasion of Ukraine due to a loan her party took from a Russian-Czech bank.

- with AFP