Emmanuel Macron retains French presidency with decisive victory over Le Pen

The result, which was announced at 8pm local time, makes Mr Macron the first French President to be re-elected since Jacques Chirac in 2002. 

In his victory speech at the Eiffel Tower, Mr Macron said: 'I’m not the candidate of one camp anymore, but the president of all of us. Picture: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images  

French President Emmanuel Macron has comfortably won re-election in the presidential run-off, according to exit polls, offering French voters and the European Union the reassurance of leadership stability as the continent grapples with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The first projections showed Macron securing around 57-58% of the vote. Such estimates are normally accurate but may be fine-tuned as official results come in from around the country. The final result is expected later tonight.