The second and final round of the French presidential election concluded Sunday with official results showing Emmanuel Macron, the pro-EU centrist candidate, defeating the far-right's Marine Le Pen by a landslide.
The euro hit a 6-month high on the result, while Europe shares were expected to push higher on Monday. Below are images taken during France's historic vote, with the inauguration of Macron expected on May 14.
Macron’s support
Crowds of Macron supporters gathered outside The Louvre in Paris on Sunday evening, where the next president of France gave his victory speech after a tightly-fought contest.
Macron will be the youngest ever president of the French Republic.
The result
Macron received around two thirds of the popular vote, better than most poll results had expected him to win by.
During his victory speech, Macron appealed to those who voted for Le Pen to give him a chance and vowed to "protect the Republic", stating that he respected their views despite his disagreements with them. He added he would do all he could to ensure that they "never have a reason to vote for extreme candidates again."
Le Pen’s defeat
Le Pen conceded defeat, but pledged to become the main opposition party in France in order to combat globalization.
In a speech at the campaign headquarters of the Front National, Le Pen called on French patriots to join her in a new movement and described the new political landscape as being split between patriots and globalists.
Le Pen gained around 35 percent of the popular vote, which she described as a historic vote for the National Front, which has never received this much support in the final round of previous presidential elections.
Protests in the streets of Lyon
Some were less than pleased with the result of election. Protests took place in Lyon against capitalism following the announcement that Macron was the winner. Riot police were deployed to control the rallies.
This came a week after clashes during the May Day protest between demonstrators and riot police.
Defend and protect Europe
As Macron addressed the crowd in his victory speech, he repeatedly stressed the enormous challenges that lie in France's path.
He vowed that during his tenure as France's premier, he would "guarantee the unity of the nation and ... Defend and protect Europe."
En Marche
Macron is perceived as a market-friendly, liberal centrist and a strong supporter of the European Union.
However, his En Marche grouping currently holds no seats in parliament whatsoever. Macron is likely to eye legislative elections on June 11 and June 18 as pivotal in order to allow his party the freedom to govern effectively.
What next for Macron?
Macron will take office by May 14 and is expected to pursue a reformist agenda. However, he will have to first deal with the parliamentary elections in June.
Citi analysts predict that low participation in the vote may be a problem for his party and could reduce his chances of securing a majority in the house.