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French election: Celebrations kick off as Macron claims Presidency

Author
AP,
Publish Date
Mon, 8 May 2017, 10:05AM
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French election: Celebrations kick off as Macron claims Presidency

Author
AP,
Publish Date
Mon, 8 May 2017, 10:05AM

Screams of joy, sighs of relief and rousing dance music.

A wave of human emotion wafted across the palatial esplanade of the Louvre Museum on Sunday night as thousands celebrated the victory of president-elect Emmanuel Macron - and the defeat of his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.

Across town at a wooded chalet, Le Pen's supporters remained combative, pledging to turn her party's strongest-ever electoral score into a major opposition force.

"Relief, relief, relief! There was a fear that the French would choose nationalism. It's been a difficult moment - the country is so divided. The atmosphere of the election - while not exactly civil war - was of a deep clash of ideas," 20-year-old student Alice Whitehead said as she partied at the Louvre.

LISTEN: Catherine Field: Emmanuel Macron, France's 'accidental President'

Crowds cheered with joy and frantically waved tricolour flags as the results were announced on large plasma screens in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum, a former royal palace on the shores of the Seine River in central Paris.

"Macron President!" they chanted. Supporters were of all ages, but including a notable number of young people and children.

As dusk set in, strobe lights accompanied a loud DJ set that saw thumping hits by Rihanna and Sia - and a version of the Marseillaise - echo around the historic courtyard. Supporters danced, jumped and sang.

Parisians lined streets outside his campaign headquarters as Macron left in a motorcade to join the party at the Louvre. There, the European anthem, "Ode to Joy" played as Macron strode out to address his supporters.

Le Pen's election night event took place at a chalet in the Bois de Vincennes, a vast park on the eastern edge of Paris. After her defiant concession speech, Le Pen's supporters put on a happy face, pointing to her 36 per cent support as a win for a party long seen as a pariah.

When the results appeared on a big TV screen in her election-night venue, people in the room chanted "Marine, the voice of the people!" and sang the French national anthem. Later, Le Pen herself did a mean jitterbug to the song YMCA with party dignitary Jean-Lin Lacapelle.

"Legislative elections are coming soon, so we are going to continue this beautiful fight that she started," said supporter Fabienne Chauvet.

Didier Roxel, a National Front supporter, will run in France's June parliamentary election from the Paris suburb of Saint-Germain-En-Laye.

"Now we enter combat," he said. "The true opposition is us."

Here are some reactions from world leaders following Macron's election.

* NZ Prime Minister Bill English has tweeted he's looking forward to working with Emmanuel Macron to further strengthen our countries' relationship.

* Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull congratulated Macron, tweeting: "We will build even stronger ties between our two great nations."

* US President Donald Trump tweeted: "Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!"

* Outgoing French President Francois Hollande said: "His big victory confirms that a very large majority of our fellow citizens wanted to unite around the values of the Republic and show their attachment to the European Union" the statement said.

* British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said: "The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success. France is one of our closest allies, and we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities."

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman tweeted in French and German: "Congratulations Emmanuel Macron. Your victory is a victory for a strong united Europe and for the Franco-German friendship."

* President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said in a letter: "I am delighted that the ideas you defended of a strong and progressive Europe, which protects all its citizens, will be those that you will carry into your presidency in the debate about the history of Europe."

* European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted: "Congratulations to the French people for choosing liberty, equality and fraternity over the tyranny of fake news."

* Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Vive La France. Congratulations to new President, Emmanuel Macron on his decisive victory over the hard right."

* Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "I congratulate Emmanuel Macron on a superlative victory which is great news for France and Europe. His campaign and the substantial majority he achieved, shows that the centre ground is alive and kicking and the place where elections can still be fought and won by progressive politics."

* Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni tweeted: "Hurray President #Macron A hope is haunting Europe," turning on its head a reference to the Communist Manifesto.

* Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said: "The victory of Macron represents an extraordinary point of hope for France and for Europe."

* Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders congratulated Le Pen despite her defeat in the French presidential elections. He tweeted: "Well done anyway ... millions of patriots voted for you! You will win next time - and so will I!"

* London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "The French people have chosen hope over fear and unity over division."

* Nigel Farage, former leader of Britain's UKIP party and leading Brexit campaigner, said: "Macron offers five more years of failure, more power to the EU and a continuation of open borders. If Marine sticks in there, she can win in 2022."

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