PARIS: Emmanuel Macron won a historic victory in the French Presidential elections. The 44-year-old leader became the first French President to win a second term in two decades.

Emmanuel Macron, candidate of La République En Marche party, has won by a vote share of 58.2 percent. Macron’s rival, Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally party, secured 41.8 percent votes.

This is the third defeat faced by 53-year-old Marine Le Pen in her bid for French presidency. She had lost to Macron in the 2017 presidential polls as well. Macron will take office on May 13.

Meantime, Pen rejected the reports claiming that she had planned to retire if defeated. In a speech to supporters in Paris, she said that she would never abandon the French and was already preparing for the June legislative elections.

Pen had raised the issues of inflation, Russia-Ukraine war and refugee crisis in her election campaigns, while Macron used Penn's far-right positions as propaganda weapons. Her announcements to ban Muslims from wearing headscarves in public and restrict the flow of refugees into the country, if elected, had sparked outrage among minorities. It is evaluated to be the reason for her failure.

The election results hint that Pen’s close links with the Russian government had turned the voters against her. Pen’s stance was to separate France from the European Union (EU). However, Emmanuel Macron’s party stood firmly behind the European Union.

Several EU leaders have come forward extending congratulations for Macron’s victory. This is the victory of EU’s unity, said the leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also extended congratulations to Macron. “I look forward to continue working together to deepen the India-France strategic partnership”, he tweeted.

Congratulations to my friend @EmmanuelMacron on being re-elected as the President of France! I look forward to continue working together to deepen the India-France Strategic Partnership.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2022

There were 12 election candidates contesting in the first phase of voting held on April 10. Out of them, Macron secured 27.85 percent votes whereas Pen secured 23.1 percent votes. Candidates who came in the first and second places in the first round had contested in the second round of polls.