Le Pen concedes defeat as Macron wins French presidency

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS (AA) - Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has conceded defeat as her centrist rival Emmanuel Macron won the presidential election run-off on Sunday.

Exit polls placed Macron first with 65.9 percent ahead of Le Pen who got 34.1 percent of the vote in the run-off round. The initial percentages can change slightly as the rest of the votes are counted.

The abstention rate is estimated at 25.3 percent, the highest since 1969 when the rate of abstention hit a record 31.1 per cent with two centre right candidates: Georges Pompidou and Alain Poher.

Le Pen -- daughter of the National Front’s co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen -- temporarily stepped aside from the leadership of the far-right party after passing the first round on April 23 in an attempt to reach out to a broader spectrum of voters.

Le Pen told the press at her campaign headquarters that she congratulated Macron and wished him "success faced with huge challenges."

The far-right leader promised to "lead the fight" in the France’s parliamentary elections next month. She pledged a “profound reform” of her Front National party to create “a new political force”.

"The FN must deeply renew itself to live up to this historic opportunity," Le Pen said, adding: "I will therefore propose to initiate a transformation of our movement," aiming to organize “a major political reorganization around the divide between patriots and globalists.”

"Our patriotic and republican alliance will be the primary force of opposition to the program of the new president," the far-right leader said.

- Barred media

Meanwhile, nearly 15 news outlets said they had been banned from the post-results event for the far-right candidate in the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern edge of Paris.

In a bid to express solidarity with their colleagues, several national and international media boycotted the event including French daily Le Monde.

"The Front National has chosen to exclude some French and international media from its election evening event on 7 May ... Le Monde forcefully condemns this attitude which does not allow proper coverage of a major democratic moment and shows a poor interpretation of press freedom. In solidarity with the media concerned, we have decided we will not be present at this election evening event. This decision will not prevent us from covering the Front National to the same journalistic standards," said the newspaper on its website.

This year’s election is historic and decisive for both France and Europe's future as the two candidates have a radically and polarized visions.

Also it is the first time since 1974 neither presidential candidate is from a mainstream party and with a sitting first-term president [Francois Hollande] not seeking re-election.

The official results would be announced on May 10th by the President of the Constitutional Council, Laurent Fabius.