Emmanuel Macron projected to win French presidential election

We are ending our live coverage of the 2022 French Presidential election. Emmanuel Macron is projected to beat his far-right rival Marine Le Pen by 58.8% to 41.2%. In doing so, he has become the first French president to win a second term in 20 years.

Though results are not final, Le Pen has already conceded victory, but told her supporters that the "game is not over," pointing to legislative elections next month.

Macron, whose lead over Le Pen shrunk from 2017, urged his supported not to boo his rival, saying "I am the President for each and every one of you."

You can follow the live results as they come in on our interactive graphic below and read the full report here.

Emmanuel Macron has delivered a toned-down speech to his supporters in Paris, thanking them for their backing and telling those who voted for Marine Le Pen that he understood their "anger," and said "I am the President for each and every one of you."

The re-elected French President had to intervene as the crowd booed his opponent, saying that he would address "the anger that brought you to vote for her project."

The celebration was significantly lower-key than after Macron's victory in 2017, though he did once again walk to deliver his speech to the European anthem, commonly referred to as the "Ode to Joy."

Macron said during his speech that his second term would not be a continuation of his first, committing to address all of France's current problems.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tweeted his congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his victory.

“Félicitations, congratulations, dear president @EmmanuelMacron. Your voters have also sent a strong commitment to Europe today. I am happy that we will continue our good cooperation!”

The Franco-German relationship drives much of the European Union's agenda and the two leaders will have to work closely in the coming years on a range of issues, from the Ukraine crisis to Europe's economic recovery.

Macron had a close relationship with former Chancellor Angela Merkel, whom he managed to convince to back much of his European agenda.

Europe's leaders are congratulating Emmanuel Macron on his reelection.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, in her good wishes, said that a strong EU needs a strong France, while Charles Michel, President of the European Council, wished him a "warm bravo."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he looked "forward to continuing to work together on the issues which matter most to our two countries and to the world."

President Emmanuel Macron is projected to win re-election with 58.5% of the vote, according to updated analysis of early results from Ipsos & Sopra Steria for France Télévisions and Radio France.  

Marine Le Pen is projected to take 41.5% of the vote, according to the pollsters.

French far-left politician and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon slammed Emmanuel Macron’s re-election, but portrayed the electoral defeat of far-right politician Marine Le Pen as “good news” for France on Sunday.

Melenchon narrowly missed out on the French presidential runoff to Le Pen two weeks ago.

“The ballot boxes have decided. Madame Le Pen is beaten. France has clearly refused to entrust its future to her and this is very good news for the unity of our people,” he told his supporters.

“Now, Mr. Macron is the most poorly elected of the presidents of the Fifth Republic [note: since 1958]. His presidential monarchy survives by default and under the constraint of a biased choice. It floats in an ocean of abstention, blank and invalid ballots,” he added.

There was a projected 28.2% abstention rate in Sunday’s runoff, according to pollster Ipsos & Steria, the highest for 20 years.

As the sun sets on the French capital, Emmanuel Macron’s supporters are enjoying the victory of their candidate in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

As DJs played dance music, it feels like the Champ de Mars has turned into a nightclub.

People burst into joyful cheers when the clock hit 8 p.m. local time, as Macron’s image emerged on the screen as the victor of this election.

In a sea of French and EU flags, supporters jumped up and down, chanting the catchphrase of Macron’s campaign: “One, two, and five more years.”

Marine Le Pen has hinted that despite losing the presidential election to Emmanuel Macron, securing nearly 42% of French voters means her far-right movement has a solid base on which it can build for the future.

At her concession speech, Le Pen said that the "game is not quite over since in a few weeks the legislative elections will take place."

She added: "Tonight we launch the great battle of the legislative elections... with all those who have the nation at heart... I will never give up on the French."

Marine Le Pen has conceded defeat in the second round of the French presidential election, even as she celebrated her “historic score” in the vote. 

"A great wind of freedom could have blown over our country, the fate of the ballot box wanted otherwise.”


But Le Pen shrugged off disappointment at her National Rally party’s campaign event in western Paris, casting her loss as a victory for her movement and the “forgotten” French people who voted for her. 

“In this defeat, I can't help but feel a form of hope. This result constitutes for our French leaders as for the European leaders the testimony of a great mistrust of the French people towards them which they cannot ignore and that of the widely shared aspiration of a great change,” she said. 

Her supporters appeared ebullient even in defeat, interrupting her speech with chants of “Marine, Marine, Marine.”

Le Pen pointed to legislative elections in two months, and urged those who voted for her to keep supporting the National Rally party.

She added: “I will not abandon the French! Vive la France,” she concluded.