In a closely contested election, French President Emmanuel Macron defeated rival Marine Le Pen to win a second term in office.
Unlike in the previous election, when he won by 30 percentage points, his current triumph was considerably closer, indicating that his far-right opponent, who has run for president numerous times, still has a strong following among the electorate.
Macron, an outspoken centrist, has won 58.2 percent of the vote, easily defeating his opponent.
The election piqued international interest, particularly because Macron and Le Pen appear to hold opposing viewpoints on the present issue in Eastern Europe.
During the election, Macron congratulated his fellow citizens for voting, calling them the “heartbeat of French democracy.”
Marine Le Pen, the daughter of another divisive politician, Jean Louis Marie Le Pen, has conceded defeat to the incumbent. She told her supporters shortly after it was revealed that Macron had won the day by a slight margin that the large vote she received was a win in and of itself.
With yet another presidential defeat, it will be interesting to watch if Marine Le Pen runs for the same office in the next election.
