Emmanuel Macron starts his victory speech by thanking his supporters and the French people.

"A majority of us have chosen to trust me," he says.

Supporters chant "and one and two and five more years".

Emmanuel Macron arrives with his wife Brigitte to the sounds of the European anthem (Beethoven's Ode to Joy) leading a crowd of children.

He stops to greet supporters, shaking hands.

Emmanuel Macron has now arrived at the Eiffel Tower and is expected to speak in the next few minutes.

Nick Beake
Reporting from Le Pen HQ

Francis Pretot, a retired newspaper layout designer, told us he was disheartened by the result and the margin of Macron’s victory: “He’s going to destroy everything.”

Mr Pretot said he had been convinced Le Pen would win because so many parts of the country were suffering.

Holding a French tricolour in his hand, he explained that he believed the only way to create a fairer France was to now build a “union of the patriots” - in other words a coalition of right-wing supporters.

But he thought that would be difficult to do.

Macron can move forward with confidencepublished at 20:14 British Summer Time 24 April 2022

20:14 BST 24 April 2022

Hugh Schofield
Reporting from Paris

Image source, EPA

This is a clear victory for President Macron: his lead over Marine Le Pen is big enough to be unambiguous and allow him to embark on a second mandate with confidence.

In the end the threat from the far right proved to have been over-stated in the polls.

Nonetheless, it is still the biggest ever score by the nationalist camp.

Combined with the very high rate of abstentions and spoiled ballots, it confirms the impression of a country divided and unhappy.

Both Marine Le Pen and the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon - who was knocked out in round one - have vowed to take their revenge on President Macron in the parliamentary elections that will take place in June.

Read more here.

Image source, .

The defeated far-right candidate says she will never abandon the French people as she concedes defeat in the presidential election.

Far-right candidate Eric Zemmour (knocked out in the first round) has called for an alliance of far-right parties ahead of the legislative elections in June, noting that "this is the eighth time that defeat has struck the name of Le Pen".

Speaking of his sadness at the result, he said: "We will fight for our ideas in every town and village of France, on the internet and in the media. But there will be no victory without alliances. I am calling for national union ahead of legislative elections in June."

There is strength in unity, he concluded.

We are seeing images of a car carrying the newly re-elected President Macron making his way to the Eiffel Tower to make his victory speech. We will report what he says as soon as we get it.

A reminder of the news of the past hour if you're just joining us.

• Emmanuel Macron has won the French election, beating his rival Marine Le Pen by about 16 percentage points, according to projections
• That gives him a second five-year term in office, making him the first French president to win re-election since Jacques Chirac in 2002
• Le Pen has conceded defeat, telling her supporters that the fight will continue

• We are waiting for Macron to address supporters at the Champs de Mars, in front of the Eiffel Tower
• World leaders - including UK PM Boris Johnson and EU chiefs - have begun offering their congratulations

Lucy Williamson
With Macron supporters in Paris

Image source, Reuters

At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the announcement of the result melted into a deafening roar. French and EU flags, frantically waved by the crowd, partly obscured the giant screens displaying Emmanuel Macron’s win.

Chants of “Macron, President” merged into the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, as supporters hugged and kissed in celebration. One couple danced with their infant, held high above his father’s head.

Now the speakers are blaring out the song “One More Time” as the sun begins to set behind the Eiffel Tower. As news of Macron’s win sinks in, the energy and enthusiasm that accompanied his win five years ago has been replaced this time by relief.

Supporters here say he will have his work cut out to bring the country together after this election; but they’re relieved that, after the tense campaign and sometimes tight predictions, his far-right rival still hasn’t managed to catch him.

The UK's prime minister has congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his projected victory.

Boris Johnson writes that he is looking forward to working with the re-elected leader of "one of our closest and most important allies".

As we wait for Emmanuel Macron's victory speech, some of his political allies have been speaing about his re-election.

Foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says the public "did not want a France that turns in on itself", reports the Reuters news agency.

However health minister Olivier Véran took a more cautious tone.

He says he does not want to "spoil the victory", but acknowledges his concern at the number of votes given to a far-right candidate.

Here's the scene in central Paris when French networks announced the projected result:

We have heard from Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and we are now waiting for the newly re-elected president, Emmanuel Macron, to make his victory speech.

French outlet BFM has just said he's expected at the Eiffel Tower at around 21:00 local time (20:00 BST).

Supporters of the victorious sitting President Emmanuel Macron are celebrating on the streets and around the iconic landmarks of the French capital.

Meanwhile Marine Le Pen's most ardent supporters at her HQ sang a rendition of La Marseillaise - the French national anthem - and booed any mention or image of Macron as they appeared on screens in the room.

Here are some images showing the contrasting moods of the supporters in each camp as the results came in:

Image source, THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images

Image source, LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Image source, EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Nick Beake
Reporting from Le Pen HQ in Paris

Image source, Reuters

There were huge cheers as Marine Le Pen took the stage and told her supporters the fight was not over and they had achieved an historic result.

She complained of a Macron dirty tricks campaign but thanked her supporters - particularly in France’s countryside and overseas - who have stuck with her.

“Marine, Marine,” they chanted inside the HQ here. There were then boos as her victorious competitor was mentioned.

Le Pen said she would remain a strong counter-force to Macron, and then led her to party members in a rendition of the national anthem. But it sounded somewhat flat - much like the champagne that has been poured and remains on the tables in the corner of the room.

Anna Holligan
Reporting from Hénin-Beaumont

As the projected results appeared on the big screen, inside La Belle Anglaise bar a group of Marine Le Pen supporters placed their foreheads on a table covered in champagne glasses, at the other end, in equally dramatic fashion, a man in a blue shirt wiped his brow in relief.

They may share concerns about the cost of living, but even here in Marine Le Pen’s constituency, people are divided over how best to fix the crisis that blights their lives.

Left-winger candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon - who came third in the first round of voting two weeks ago - has been speaking and says Macron is the "worst-elected president" of the 5th Republic, and that "he swims in an ocean of abstentions, blank votes and spoiled ballots".

"Macron has won the slimmest mandate of all modern French presidents. He was elected by default and under duress, in a distorted choice."

He reiterated his own wish to be prime minister ahead of the legislative elections in June.

President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has welcomed the result and congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his projected victory.

In a tweet, Michel adds that the EU needs a France committed to the project amid a turbulent period on the continent.

He is joined by EU Commission president Usula von der Leyen, who says she looks forward to working with the re-elected president once more.

A member of Macron's government avoids sounding triumphant over the projected results.

"We need to continue to work" given the 40% score achieved by the far-right, European Affairs Minister Clément Beaune tells Reuters news agency.