Macron set to become new French Prez

Emmanuel Macron is set to become France's next President, French media reports said on Monday.

According to French state television estimates, the pro-European Union (EU) centrist is leading 65.1% to 34.9% over his rival Marine Le Pen.

At the time of filing this report, counting was continued. However, conceding defeat, Pen called Macron to congratulate him on the historic win.

Macron, 39, who has never held elected office and was unknown until three years ago, is France's youngest president.

As soon as the projections projected him as a winner, Macron tweeted in French, "My dear compatriots, you have chosen to give me your confidence and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you."

 

Macron vowed to defend France and its vital interests. His said that "we have a duty to our country. We are the inheritors of a great story and great humanist message addressed to the world".

The outgoing French President Francois Hollande called Macron to congratulate him on his "election of the President of the Republic."

"His large victory confirms that a very large majority of our citizens wanted to assemble around the values of the Republic and mark their attachment to the European Union as well as to the openness of France in the world," Hollande said.

President of the European Council Donald Dusk congratulated Macron via a tweet: "Congratulations @EmmanuelMacron.

Congratulations to French people for choosing Liberty, Equality and Fraternity over tyranny of fake news (sic)"

British Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Macron on his victory.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel pledged his support for Emmanuel Macron's plans for France.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert congratulated Macron and said his win was a victory for a united Europe and for the Franco-German friendship.

Two days before the voting, reports said that Macron's emails were hacked and leaked online on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. However, it was not clear whether the nine gigabyte data was genuine or not.