39-year-old Emmanuel Macron wins French presidential election

Paris: Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron won France’s landmark presidential election, first estimates showed on Sunday, heading off a fierce challenge from the far-right in a pivotal vote for the future of the divided country and Europe.

Estimates showed Mr Macron winning between 65.5 per cent and 66.1 per cent of ballots ahead of Ms Marine Le Pen on between 33.9-34.5 per cent.

The 39-year-old became the country’s youngest President to date, erasing Louis Napoleon Bonaparte’s record. Unknown three years ago, Mr Macron is now poised to become one of Europe’s most powerful leaders, bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and economic reform for France and the EU.

Outgoing President Francois Hollande, who plucked Mr Macron from obscurity to name him minister in 2014, said voting “is always an important, significant act, heavy with consequences” as he cast his vote.

Mr Macron will now face huge challenges as he attempts to enact his domestic agenda of cutting state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education in deprived areas and extending new protections to the self-employed.

The philosophy and literature lover is inexperienced, has no political party and must try to fashion a working parliamentary majority after legislative elections next month.

His En Marche movement — “neither of the left, nor right” — has vowed to field candidates in all 577 constituencies, with half of them women and half of them newcomers to politics. “We will reconstruct right to the end! We’ll keep our promise of renewal!” he said during his last campaign meeting.

Many analysts are sceptical about his ability to win a majority with En Marche candidates alone, meaning he would have to form a coalition of lawmakers committed to his agenda — something new under France’s current Constitution.