Macron won 58.55% of the vote leaving Le Pen with 41.45%. His victory also marks the first time a French president has been re-elected since Jacques Chirac beat Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie in 2002.

Despite his success Macron will need his party La Republique en Marche and its allies to win France’s parliamentary election which will take place on 12 June to be in a strong position to implement his policies. Macron made the most of France’s rotating presidency of the Council of the EU--which began in January and is will end in June--to boost his approval rating this year.

Although immigration had long been the leading topic in French politics, voters who took part in this election appeared more concerned with the surge in energy prices and the growing inflation. The presidential campaign took place during the war Ukraine right on the EU’s borders which made the race all the more vital with Le Pen being the face of French Euroscepticism.

Belgian prime minister was the first to congratulate Macron on his victory. “I warmly congratulate Emmanuel Macron for his re-election and confirm our need for a strong and united Europe. We will be there,” he said in a Tweet.

The pro-EU theme continued in the reactions of other European leaders with Luxembourg he is “happy to continue working with Emmanuel Macron, a colleague and friend who defends our democratic values and our common European project.”

French voters in Luxembourg overwhelmingly chose Macron where the incumbent president secured 49.64% ahead of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Éric Zemmour, Yannick Jadot and Le Pen.

Updated on 25 April at 5.55am,