[Watch] France’s Emmanuel Macron Wins Second Term, Modi Congratulates Him

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron won a second term on Sunday, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

Macron (44), the first French President to win a second term in two decades, won with around 58 per cent votes against Le Pen’s 42 per cent. However, this is the closest the far-right has ever come to taking power in France.

The outcome was expected to be confirmed by official results overnight with the final figures due on Monday, AFP reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Macron on his re-election. “Congratulations to my friend Emmanuel Macron on being re-elected as the President of France! I look forward to continue working together to deepen the India-France Strategic Partnership,” Modi tweeted.

Meanwhile, riot police fired teargas on demonstrators in central Paris protesting Macron’s re-election. The protesters were mostly young people who had gathered in the central neighborhood of Chatelet. Although Macron won comfortably, the abstention rate was expected to be the highest since 1969. A substantial number did not vote for either Macron or Le Pen.

Le Pen (53) termed the percentage of votes she won as a “brilliant victory”. “The ideas we represent have reached new heights… this result itself represents a brilliant victory,” she told supporters.