PARIS: Emmanuel Macron won warm backing from European allies on Monday after his resounding victory in France’s presidential election but the focus at home shifted to whether he can govern without a traditional party. At 39, the former investment banker will become France’s youngest-ever president when he is inaugurated next weekend after crushing far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday. “Emmanuel Macron carries the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe,” she told reporters. Final results showed Macron won a higher-than-expected 66.1 percent of the vote against 33.9 percent for Le Pen, which many of her allies view as a disappointment. The election underlined France’s economic and geographical divisions, with Macron popular among more educated, middle-class voters in cities, but viewed with suspicion or hostility by blue-collar workers.

Source: Manila Times May 09, 2017 15:22 UTC