French elections live: Emmanuel Macron beats Marine Le Pen to be re-elected president, projections show

Macron continues, addressing those who vote for him but do not necessarily support him, and those who voted against him:

I also know that many French people voted for me to block the extreme right. I also want to thank you and tell you that your vote binds me.

Those who abstained, could not decide, those who voted for Marine Le Pen… Because I am no longer the candidate of a field, but the president of all.

A victorious Macron addresses his supporters

Emmanuel Macron now walks with his wife Brigitte and their children towards the stage on the Champ de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, to the sound of the European anthem, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, as he did five years ago.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has congratulated Macron:

Its voters have today sent a strong vote of confidence to Europe. I am happy that we will continue our good cooperation.

More on tomorrow’s debut of The Guardian’s First Edition newsletter: Assistant Editor Nimo Omer spoke to Mujtaba Rahman, Europe Director at consultancy Eurasia Group. Rahman argues that Macron’s comfortable margin of victory is crucial:

It will give Macron and his allies a tremendous boost ahead of the general elections… a victory for Macron against Le Pen is, of course, hugely important, but now the big question is, will he be able to achieve a coherent majority through which he will be able to govern for the next five years.

Rahman also argues that claims that Macron’s supporters were largely motivated by fear of Le Pen are misplaced:

Macron got more than most expected in the first round, and I think that suggests that there are a lot of French voters proactively supporting him. The French tend to hate incumbent presidents. He has accomplished a truly amazing feat tonight.

The first edition is a new free daily newsletter that brings you the headlines and a deep dive into a great story every day at 7 am If you want to sign up, click here.

Valérie Pécresse, the candidate of the main right-wing Les Républicains party that was widely defeated in the first round, congratulates Macron on his victory.

She says her victory “must not disguise the divisions in our country that produced a record score for Marine Le Pen.”

She hints at possible support from the moderate wing of the center right for Macron’s group, saying “towards parliamentary elections with a center right with the aim of defending the change of course that France needs.”

My colleague Angelique Chrisafis has this to say about the projected result of the first round:

Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron won a second term as French president, becoming the first leader to win re-election in France in 20 years, after a tough campaign in which he beat far-right Marine Le Pen by a decisive 58.2%. . at 41.8%, according to the initial projected results.

Macron, who will address supporters at a victory rally at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, beat Le Pen by a smaller margin than the 66% he won from her in 2017. Turnout was also lower than five years ago, with abstention. estimated at 28%.

Le Pen managed to give the far-right its highest score in a French presidential election, after campaigning on the cost-of-living crisis and promising a ban on the Muslim headscarf in public places, as well as nationalist measures to prioritize the natives. French over others in employment, housing, benefits and health care. She called it “a brilliant victory in itself,” adding: “The ideas we represent are reaching heights.”

You can read Angelique’s story here:

Georgina Wright of the respected Institut Montaigne in Paris has a short Twitter thread about the consequences of Macron’s victory for the EU:

According to the Ipsos pollster, 42% of voters who voted in the first round for the far-left arsonist Jean-Luc Mélenchon supported Macron in the second round, 10 percentage points more than in 2017, while 17% opted for Le Pen. , 10 points less than five years ago.

Gabriel Attal, the official government spokesman, says that he receives the result with “gratitude and responsibility”:

The French people chose him over Marine Le Pen in the second round. This is a historic result with a historic responsibility. Obviously, we must act very quickly, to protect the French, to make progress on the cost of living crisis and on the climate crisis.

For tomorrow’s launch of The Guardian’s new First Edition newsletter, Archie Bland has been speaking with Cas Mudde, political scientist and leading expert on populism and the radical right.

Mudde says that the story of the result is “pretty clear, and it was pretty clear from the start”:

Macron is going to be re-elected with much less support and lower voter turnout and that is really a relief in the short term, but in the long term it is a kick in the road. I am not saying that Le Pen or whoever replaces her will win in 2027, there is too much room to say that, but Macron’s mandate is weaker than the previous one.

Calling it a hollow victory would be too harsh. It’s very important. But it comes with major red flags. If I compare it to 2017, there was a hope that Macron would be the alternative, to reinvent liberal democracy, and that is not where we are this time.

The first edition is a new free daily newsletter that brings you the headlines plus a deep dive into a great story every day at 7am If you’d like to sign up, please do so Click here.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has congratulated Macron:

As does the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who says that she “looks forward to continuing our excellent cooperation. Together, we will move France and Europe forward.”

Macron’s Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire now speaks from the Champ de Mars, as Macron supporters wait for the newly re-elected president to appear:

This is very good news for the majority, for the President of the Republic. The French have made a clear choice that gives Emmanuel Macron and the future majority of him a strong mandate for the next five years.

The main thing for me is to get back to work as soon as possible. There is a lot to do in inflation, in the economy. Basically, reindustrialization. We must also listen to what so many voters said about the environment. We must move faster in the fight against global warming.

Le Maire also promises that Macron’s second term “will be different. We are determined to listen to those who abstained, to those who annulled their votes, to provide them with the most concrete answers possible, as soon as possible.”

Éric Zemmour, Le Pen’s far-right rival in the first round, notes that this is “the eighth time that defeat has struck Le Pen’s name”, but says that it is “not inevitable” that the forces of nationalism lose all the elections.

He says his movement will be at the forefront of the fight, but calls for a “great union” of the patriotic right before the parliamentary elections.

“Two big blocs are being organized, the radical left and the center, and the nationalist bloc must also unite. Our responsibility is immense. It is indispensable. It is our duty.”

Macron’s supporters are celebrating wildly on the Champs de Mars. His victory speech is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. local time.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, father of Marine and former leader of the then National Front that lost to Jacques Chirac in 2002, sees the news of his daughter’s defeat “without comment, with an expressionless face”, according to Aurélie Lebelle. from Le Parisian:

Mujtaba Rahman, Europe director at consultancy EurasiaGroup, says this is a “big win” for Macron, France and Europe, broader than polls predicted, that will give him a boost ahead of parliamentary elections in June:

Ségolène Royal, the socialist candidate defeated by Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, warns of the problems that await Macron if he does not take into account the nature of his victory:

I think the French have been deprived of a real choice. It would be a serious mistake for Emmanuel Macron to take this re-election to mean that he can carry on the same policy, in the same way, for the next five years.