08 May, 2017
Macron, of the En Marche!
Polling experts have predicted that independent Emmanuel Macron (left) beat far-right opponent Marine Le Pen (right) in Sunday's French presidential election.
Theresa May has also already spoken out to say she "warmly congratulates" Emmanuel Macron on his victory, saying "we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities".
The conservative daily newspaper Le Figaro, hardly an enthusiastic champion of Mr Macron, said "99 per cent of serious economists" believed Ms Le Pen's programme would bankrupt France.
In her concession speech on Sunday, Le Pen said that she would head the French opposition in the name of the country's "patriots".
French presidential election candidate Emmanuel Macron waves to supporters next to his wife Brigitte Trogneux after voting for the second round of the French presidential election.
The first estimated results was expected to be published at 1800 GMT.
There will be no French Brexit, as the French election has shown the limits of right-wing nationalism.
Theresa May was quick to congratulate Macron on his victory.
Hundreds of thousands of e-mails and documents were dumped online and then spread by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, in what the candidate called an attempt at "democratic destabilization".
"We knew that there were these risks during the presidential campaign because it happened elsewhere".
With the presidential election nearly wrapped, attention will soon turn to the parliamentary contest. "Because the success of France matters to the entire world".
He will also become the first president from outside the two traditional main parties since the modern republic's foundation in 1958.
Despite the fact that Macron is not a member of the Socialist Party of President Francois Hollande, Macron was widely perceived as a continuity candidate seeking to further pursue that party's policy of strong involvement in the European Union and a relatively tolerant approach to religious minorities.
He plans to blend a big reduction in public spending and a relaxation of labour laws with greater investment in training.
Le Pen threatened to curb immigration, particularly for Muslims, pull France out of the European Union and return the country to the French franc - moves that would have caused political and economic upheaval in Europe and around the world.
"France is not a closed country".
Macron's campaign confirmed the security breach shortly afterwards and said that fake documents had been inserted among genuine campaign material in order to spread what it called "misinformation".
Commentators said a low turnout might help Le Pen, whose supporters are seen as more likely to show up to vote.
In the meantime, National Front founder and Marine Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie le Pen, said that his daughter's position on the euro and pensions had harmed her campaign. Voter turnout for the election is estimated to be the lowest in nearly half a century.
Mr Macron topped the first round of the presidential election on April 23 with 24.01 percent, followed by Ms Le Pen on 21.30 percent, in a crowded field of 11 candidates.
Macron and Le Pen's polar-opposite visions presented France's 47 million registered voters with the starkest possible choice.
