French Election: Hollande, Merkel Congratulate Macron

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have congratulated French President-elect Emmanuel Macron.

While Hollande wished him success in addressing France’s challenges, Merkel expressed delight in his support for a social market economy.

Germany woke on Monday to confirmation that centrist Emmanuel Macron was elected French president on Sunday.

Macron, who has a business-friendly vision of European integration, defeated Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist who threatened to take France out of the European Union.

With virtually all votes counted, Macron had topped 66 percent against just under 34 percent for Le Pen – a gap wider than the 20 or so percentage points that pre-election surveys had suggested.

German commuters reacted with relief that Le Pen had not won but were less than overjoyed that Macron was the only alternative.

The French president-elect spoke by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after his election win, promising to visit Berlin soon, and discussed Brexit with British Prime Minister Theresa May, sources said.

Merkel said, “I was delighted about the fantastic electoral success of Emmanuel Macron and I congratulated him personally yesterday by telephone.

“Emmanuel Macron carries the hopes of millions of French people and of many people in Germany and the whole of Europe. He conducted a brave, pro-European campaign. He stands for openness to the world. He stands firmly behind a social market economy and we know that Germany and France are bound by fate.”