Emmanuel Macron inaugurated as France's youngest leader since Napoleon

Updated

Emmanuel Macron has taken power as President of France, vowing to restore the country's status in Europe and the world and heal divisions in society — a nod to the bitter campaign the pro-EU centrist fought to defeat a far-right leader.

Key points: Mr Macron will seek to reunite the EU and pause the ongoing anti-globalisation trend

Despite Macron's clear win half of France voted for other candidates in the first round

Mr Macron says France must set an example of "freedom and solidarity" for the world

The 39-year-old former investment banker, unknown to the wider public three years ago and whose May 7 election marked a meteoric rise to power, was inaugurated leader of the world's fifth-largest economy in a solemn Elysee Palace ceremony.

In his first words after taking office, he pledged to restore France's standing on the world stage, strengthen national self-confidence and heal divisions that the bitterly-fought campaign had opened up.

Mr Macron beat the National Front's Marine Le Pen in a May 7 run-off vote but the long campaign exposed deep divisions over France's role in Europe, immigration, and policies to revive a sluggish economy bedevilled by high unemployment.

"The division and fractures in our society must be overcome," Mr Macron declared.

"I know that the French expect much from me. Nothing will make me stop defending the higher interests of France and from working to reconcile the French."

Although his victory over Ms Le Pen was comfortable, almost half of France's 47 million voters chose candidates with views opposed to Mr Macron's in the first round of the election.

Many say they feel dispossessed by globalisation as manufacturing jobs move abroad and as immigration and a fast-changing world blur their sense of a French identity.

"The world and Europe need more than ever France, and a strong France, which speaks out loudly for freedom and solidarity," Mr Macron said.

Seeking closer ties with EU anchor nation Germany, Mr Macron will meet Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Monday. He will ram home the message that the European Union is resilient despite Britain's vote to leave and a spate of financial and migration crises that have boosted the far right.

Monday will also see Mr Macron name his prime minister, whose job will be to pilot liberalising reforms aimed at reducing joblessness and reviving economic growth.

Youngest French post-war leader

Mr Macron becomes the youngest French leader since Napoleon and the first to be born after 1958, when President Charles de Gaulle put in place the country's Fifth Republic.

In a ceremony full of pomp, he was presented with what is effectively his chain of office — a heavy golden necklace mounted on a red cushion that makes him Grand Master of the National Order of the Legion d'Honneur.

But Mr Macron appeared determined to create an impression of personal modesty — aides went out of their way to emphasise that the dark suit he wore cost about 450 euros ($660), and that the lavender outfit worn by his wife Brigitte had been loaned by fashion house Louis Vuitton.

He displayed youthful vigour during the televised proceedings, at one point racing up the Elysee stairs to meet a protocol requirement — something not all previous French presidents might have managed.

He then chose to be driven by military jeep rather than civilian limousine to the Arc de Triomphe, where he stood in the rain, without coat or umbrella, to light the flame in tribute to France's war dead at the tomb of the unknown soldier — a powerful reminder of France's role in the NATO defence alliance.

Mr Macron's rise, marked by a 21-gun salute at the Esplanade des Invalides, signalled at least a pause in the anti-globalisation trend that elevated businessman Donald Trump into the US presidency and led British voters to choose Brexit.

More than 230 people have died in France in attacks claimed by Islamic State militants over the past two years as the country has taken part in military action against the militant group that controls parts of Syria and Iraq.

Fifteen hundred police were mobilised to ensure security for Mr Macron's inauguration while a large section of Paris was closed to traffic all morning.

Mr Macron assumed power after an hour-long private meeting with outgoing President Francois Hollande, 62, in which official access to France's nuclear missile launch codes was handed over.

Reuters

Topics: world-politics, immigration, france, european-union

First posted</s>PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the inauguration of French President Emmanuel Macron (all times local):

France has inaugurated new president, Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old independent centrist who was elected on May 7.

The president of the Constitutional Council, Laurent Fabius, proclaimed the official result of the vote in a ceremony Sunday at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris.

Macron formally took power after his predecessor, Socialist Francois Hollande, met with him for one hour and left.

Macron is the youngest president in the country’s history and the 8th president of France’s Fifth Republic, created in 1958. His Republic on the Move movement hopes to reinvigorate French politics and win a majority of lawmakers in the June parliamentary election.

Francois Hollande, France’s former president, has left the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, following a one-hour meeting with his successor Emmanuel Macron.

He was loudly applauded by the employees of the French presidency at his departure. He shook hands with Macron, who accompanied him to his car and also applauded him.

Macron then posed for photographers at the front porch of the Elysee with his wife, Brigitte.

Macron, 39, had been Hollande’s top economy adviser from 2012 to 2014, then became his economy minister until last year, when he decided to quit the Socialist government and launch his independent presidential bid.

Macron’s formal inauguration ceremony was to start shortly in the reception hall of the presidential palace.

France’s President-elect Emmanuel Macron has arrived at the Elysee presidential palace for his inauguration ceremony.

The 39-year-old Macron slowly marched alone, under a light rain, in the Elysee courtyard. He shook hands with his predecessor, Francois Hollande, at the front porch and the two men briefly posed for photographers.

Macron had been Hollande’s top economy adviser at the Elysee from 2012 to 2014, then became his economy minister until last year, when he decided to quit the Socialist government and launch his independent presidential bid.

He is the first French president who doesn’t originate from one of the country’s two mainstream parties. His Republic on the Move movement hopes to reinvigorate French politics and win a majority of lawmakers in the June parliamentary election.

France’s new President Emmanuel Macron is formally taking power during a ceremony at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris.

His predecessor, Francois Hollande, is to welcome him in the courtyard Sunday in front of hundreds of journalists.

The two are meeting in the president’s office before Hollande’s departure, taking a last few minutes to discuss the most sensitive issues facing France, including the country’s nuclear codes.

Macron takes charge of a nation that, when Britain leaves the European Union in 2019, will become the EU’s only member with nuclear weapons and a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Macron will then make a speech in the Elysee reception hall in front of about 300 guests, officials and family members, including his wife Brigitte Macron, in a lavender blue dress designed by French designer Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton.</s>Emmanuel Macron Officially Sworn In As President Of France

39-year-old Emmanuel Macron became the youngest president in French history when he officially took office following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Sunday, May 14, 2017.

Last week, Macron was elected France’s youngest head of state since Napoleon, after trouncing far-Right rival, Marine Le Pen, in a result that will certainly have far-reaching consequences for Britain and Europe.

During the swearing in ceremony, Macron laid out the goals of his presidency in a speech that signalled his readiness to move forward with reforming the European Union.

He ran independent of the country’s established parties – centre-left Socialists and the centre-right Les Republicains – and instead founded his own centrist political movement, En Marche! (Forward!).

France’s new leader takes over from Francois Hollande, whose record-low levels of support prevented him from seeking re-election.

Macron is seeking to kick-start the French economy and overcome the sense of political malaise gripping the country.

Hollande hosted Macron for a final private conversation at the Elysee Palace before his departure.

During Sunday’s palace ceremony, France’s armed forces greeted the new state chief with military honours and twenty-one cannon blasts. As president, Macron acts as the top commander of France’s armed forces and received the country’s nuclear codes.

Macron’s immediate challenge will be to secure a majority in next month’s parliamentary election for En Marche! (Onwards!), his political movement that is barely a year old, in order to implement his program

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>PARIS — Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated Sunday as France’s new president at the Elysee Palace in Paris, and immediately launched into his mission to shake up French politics, world economics and the European Union.

The 39-year-old Macron is the youngest president in the country’s history and the 8th president of France’s Fifth Republic, which was created in 1958. A former economy minister with pro-business, pro-European views, Macron is the first French president who doesn’t originate from the country’s two mainstream parties.

After Macron was formally declared president, 21 cannon shots were fired from across the Seine River at the Invalides monument, where Napoleon is entombed.

Macron later solemnly paid tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe, greeting veterans and military officers in formation beneath the imposing arch.

Macron takes charge of a nation that, when Britain leaves the European Union in 2019, will become the EU’s only member with nuclear weapons and a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Before the ceremony, he met for an hour with his predecessor, Francois Hollande, taking a last few minutes to discuss the most sensitive issues facing France, including the country’s nuclear codes.

In a visibly moving moment for both, Macron accompanied Hollande to his car, shaking hands and applauding him along with the employees of the French presidency who had gathered in the palace’s courtyard.

The two men had known each other well. Macron was Hollande’s former adviser, then his economy minister from 2014 to 2016, when Macron quit the Socialist government to launch his own independent presidential bid.

In his inauguration speech Sunday, Macron said he will do everything necessary to fight terrorism and authoritarianism and to resolve the world’s migration crisis. He also listed “the excesses of capitalism in the world” and climate change among his future challenges.

“We will take all our responsibilities to provide, every time it’s needed, a relevant response to big contemporary crises,” he said.

Macron announced his determination to push ahead with reforms to free up France’s economy and pledged to press for a “more efficient, more democratic” EU. France is a founding member of the 28-nation bloc and its third-largest economy after Germany and Britain.

About 300 guests, officials and family members gathered in the Elysee reception hall, including Macron’s wife, Brigitte, wearing a lavender blue dress by French designer Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton.

Macron himself wore a dark suit from French brand Jonas and Cie, a tailor based in Paris, that cost 450 euros ($491), according to his team.

The new president arrived on the Champs-Elysees Avenue under a heavy rain — recalling Hollande’s inauguration five years ago — but unlike his predecessor, Macron managed to avoid getting wet. The bad weather often associated with the former Socialist president has become a joke for the French.

After his time at the tomb, Macron went to shake hands with supporters along the Champs-Elysees, who were taking selfies and waving French tricolor flags, before coming back to the palace for a lunch with his family.

Earlier, he and France’s new first lady briefly posed for photographers at the front porch of the palace after Hollande left. The couple will now live at the Elysee Palace.

Macron will meet with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo later Sunday and will take his first trip abroad Monday to Germany to visit Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

Macron will also have to name his prime minister and form a government in the next few days.

He has promised to reinvigorate French politics by bringing in new faces. His Republic on the Move movement has announced an initial list of 428 candidates for the 577 seats up for grabs in France’s lower house of parliament in a vote in June. Macron is seeking to elect a majority of lawmakers so he can pass his programs.

Many of the Republic on the Move candidates are newcomers in politics. Their average age is 46, compared to 60 for the outgoing assembly. Half of them are women. Only 24 are lawmakers running for re-election, all Socialists.

Hollande, meanwhile, went on Twitter to describe the “terrible ordeals” that marked his five-year term, from deadly attacks to Greece’s debt crisis. He defended his unpopular presidency in a series of tweets minutes after leaving the Elysee Palace.

Hollande noted his accomplishments in getting the Paris Agreement on climate change, legalizing gay marriage and doing “everything possible to ensure that Greece stays in Europe.”

“We lived through crises but we held together. France remained France,” he tweeted.</s>Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated Sunday as France's new president at the Elysee Palace in Paris, and immediately launched into his mission to shake up French politics, world economics and the European Union.

The 39-year-old Macron is the youngest president in the country's history and the 8th president of France's Fifth Republic, which was created in 1958.

A former economy minister with pro-business, pro-European views, Macron is the first French president who doesn't originate from the country's two mainstream parties.

Macron takes charge of a nation that, when Britain leaves the European Union in 2019, will become the EU's only member with nuclear weapons and a permanent seat on the U.N.Security Council.

Before the ceremony, he met for an hour with his predecessor, Francois Hollande, taking a last few minutes to discuss the most sensitive issues facing France, including the country's nuclear codes.

In a visibly moving moment for both, Macron accompanied Hollande to his car, shaking hands and applauding him along with the employees of the French presidency who had gathered in the palace's courtyard.

The two men had known each other well. Macron was Hollande's former adviser, then his economy minister from 2014 to 2016, when Macron quit the Socialist government to launch his own independent presidential bid.

In his inauguration speech Sunday, Macron said he will do everything necessary to fight terrorism and authoritarianism and to resolve the world's migration crisis.

He also listed "the excesses of capitalism in the world" and climate change among his future challenges.

"We will take all our responsibilities to provide, every time it's needed, a relevant response to big contemporary crises," He said.

Macron announced his determination to push ahead with reforms to free up France's economy and pledged to press for a "more efficient, more democratic" EU.

France is a founding member of the 28-nation bloc and its third-largest economy after Germany and Britain.</s>French newly elected president Emmanuel Macron stands as he escorts his predecessor at the Elysee presidential Palace at the end of their handover ceremony and prior to the formal inauguration as French President on May 14, 2017 in Paris. Pic/ AFP

Paris: Independent-centrist and former investment banker Emmanuel Macron was sworn in on Sunday as the 25th French President and the youngest in the nation's history.

Laurent Fabius, President of the Constitutional Council, presided the ceremony at the Elysee Palace here, the BBC reported.

"In order to be the man of one's country, one must be the man of your time... By the sovereign choice of the people, you are now, above all ... the man of our country ... President of the Republic," Fabius said while proclaiming Macron, 39, as the President.

Macron's wife Brigitte Trogneux, wearing a powder blue skirt suit, an outfit similar to what US First Lady Melania Trump wore during her husband President Donald Trump's swearing-in in January, entered the Palace ahead of Macron.

The former Economy Minister, who worsted far-Right National Front leader Marine Le Pen in the presidential run-off, opened his term with talk of a new renaissance.

"The world needs what the French have always taught. For decades France has doubted herself."

But the world and Europe need France more than ever now, he said.

"My mandate will give the French back the confidence to believe in themselves."

He said he would convince the people that "the power of France is not declining - that we are on the brink of a great renaissance".

Macron in his speech, also paid tributes to former Presidents from Charles de Gaulle to Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, reports the BBC.

He said he would count on the people to "deal with deep change".

"From this very evening I will be at work. Long live the Republic and long live France."

Macron becomes the youngest president in France's history and the youngest leader since Napoleon Bonaparte was elected in 1848 at age 40.

Macron arrived at the Elysee Palace earlier and walked down a red carpet. He was greeted by Hollande.

He will be naming a Prime Minister and a full Cabinet by Wednesday.</s>PARIS (CBSNEWS/AP) – Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated Sunday as France’s new president at the Elysee palace in Paris, and immediately launched into his mission to shake up French politics, world economics and the European Union.

The 39-year-old Macron is the youngest president in the country’s history and the 8th president of France’s Fifth Republic, which was created in 1958. A former economy minister with pro-business, pro-European views, Macron is the first French president who doesn’t originate from one of the country’s two mainstream parties.

Macron takes charge of a nation that, when Britain leaves the European Union in 2019, will become the EU’s only member with nuclear weapons and a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

He met for an hour with his predecessor, Francois Hollande, in the president’s office, taking a last few minutes to discuss the most sensitive issues facing France, including the country’s nuclear codes.

In a visibly moving moment for both, Macron accompanied Hollande to his car, shaking hands and applauding him along with the employees of the French presidency who gathered in the palace’s courtyard.</s>Prior to his career in politics, Macron worked as a civil servant and an investment banker. In 2012, he accepted a role as a senior advisor to then-president Francois Hollande, before becoming Hollande’s Minister of Economy and Finance. In 2015, Macron announced he was leaving the Socialist party to become an independent. Less than a year later, the En Marche! movement was born, much to the distaste of Hollande, who many said felt betrayed by his former prodigy. In August, Macron resigned from his government post, and, by November 2016, he had announced his candidacy for president.

At a Sunday inauguration ceremony in the grand reception room at the Élysée Palace in Paris, Emmanuel Macron was officially instated as France’s new president. At age 39, he is the nation’s youngest head of state since Napoleon. Known for founding the independent political movement En Marche!, or “Onward!,” which embodies neither left- nor right-wing policies, Macron campaigned on a platform of uniting France’s partisan divides.

Macron launched his campaign with a speech against “corporatism” and large interest groups, saying: “The challenge is not for me to bring together the left or bring together the right. The challenge is to bring together France.” This same theme echoed in his inauguration speech on Sunday. “My mandate will give the French back the confidence to believe in themselves,” Macron said in front of a crowd of around 300 guests. “The division and fractures in our society must be overcome … Nothing will make me stop defending the higher interests of France.”

Indeed, the majority of Macron’s brief inauguration speech focused on restoring confidence in France’s economy while bridging the nation’s social divides. His speech highlighted issues like terrorism, the migration crisis, climate change, authoritarian governments, and “the excesses of capitalism” as some of the major challenges of his presidency. Macron also hinted at the need to restore French authority on the global stage. “It will be up to me to convince the French that our country, which seems threatened by the sometimes contrary winds of the world, carries in its heart all the resources to be a nation of the first rank,” Macron said. These words have particular resonance in light of the massive, coordinated hack on Macron’s campaign earlier this month, which staffers were quick to attribute to the Russian government.

Despite a major setback less than 48 hours before the presidential election, Macron has maintained a sense of positivity throughout his campaign. The BBC’s Hugh Schofield offered an incisive take on the language of Macron’s inauguration speech on Sunday, calling the new president “one of nature’s optimists”:

If his upcoming schedule is any indication, Macron seems to be approaching his new position with a similar vigor. Shortly following his inauguration, Macron stood in the rain to light a flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe, before shaking hands with people along the Champs Elysées. Later that afternoon, Macron met with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and visited wounded soldiers at a military hospital in a suburb outside Paris. On Monday, the new president will travel to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in an effort to reinforce France’s commitment to the European Union. That same day, Macron is expected to name a candidate for prime minister.

For now, Macron seems able to count on public support during the initial stage of his presidency. After the new president defeated his opponent, Marine Le Pen, by a wide margin, thousands of people gathered in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum, waving flags and hugging one another in celebration. Despite being a political newcomer, Macron has also received encouragement from a few key international leaders. During the campaign process, former U.S. President Obama issued a rare endorsement of Macron. On Saturday, Angela Merkel also pledged her support, saying Germany would do everything in its power “not only to help France but also to shape the European path with France.”

And yet, as Macron endeavors to chart a new course for France, he appears to be aware of the long road ahead. “I reassure you that not for a single second did I think that everything changed as if by magic on May 7,” Macron said, referring to his victory on election day. “This will be slow work—demanding, but indispensable.”</s>Emmanuel Macron has been inaugurated as French President at the Elysee Palace in France.

Macron, who won the presidential race against the National Front's Marine le Pen with 66 per cent of the vote, is the country's youngest President at the age of 39.

At the inauguration in Paris, Macron said his strong mandate would give French people a new-found confidence; he is taking over from Francois Hollande, who struggled to bring down the nation's high unemployment.

Read more: As Juncker criticises France's overspending, is the Macron honeymoon over?

Macron, a former banker, has also promised to reform the European Union during his time as leader. Demonstrating his commitment to Europe, one of his first acts as President will be to visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin tomorrow.

The new French President is expected to be tough on Brexit, and has previously indicated he has is eyes on London's euro clearing market.

Jean Pisani-Ferry, Macron's economic adviser, said last week that Macron will not be seeking to "punish" the UK for Brexit, but that France and Britain now have diverging interests, paving the way for difficult negotiations.</s>PARIS — Emmanuel Macron was sworn in as French president on Sunday and gave a moving first speech to begin healing his fractured country.

Macron has shaken up French politics with his meteoric rise to the presidency, winning his campaign as an independent, with the backing of a fledgling political party he founded less than a year ago.

At 39, he becomes the youngest president in France’s history, and the youngest leader since Napoleon.

The new President vowed to bring confidence back to a nation that has been “broken” by a spate of terror attacks and a sluggish economy.

He said he hoped to restore French values and applauded voters for resisting the wave of populism in choosing him over his rival, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, in his landslide victory a week ago.

“The world and Europe needs France more than ever. They need a strong France that is sure of its destiny. A France that upholds freedom and solidarity,” he said.

“I am convinced that the power of France is not in decline, as we are at the dawn of an extraordinary rebirth.”

He listed a range of challenges facing the country, from migration fluxes, to the “excesses” of global capitalism and terrorism.

“Nothing will affect only a part of the population. We are united, we are all neighbors.”

Macron has promised to breathe new life into French politics, and in his speech Sunday, he laid out a vision of a vibrant economy boosted by innovation and technology, and an openness to the world.

But to some skeptical onlookers, Macron is still something of an unknown quantity. He has little experience in governance, serving as economy minister for two years as his most senior role.

Just a week since his win, Macron has inherited an extraordinary to-do list and some demanding deadlines.

He is expected to name his prime minister on Monday and a full Cabinet by Wednesday. Macron has said he is looking at one male and one female candidate for prime minister, but gave little clue as to who they might be.

He will also now be looking to the June legislative elections. His centrist La Republique En Marche! party, which has never held a single seat in parliament, will need a strong parliamentary presence to push Macron’s legislative agenda through.

The party is scrambling to get 577 candidates together to contest every seat in the country ahead of vote, on June 11 and 18.

It named 428 candidates on Thursday, half of them women and more than half from outside the political establishment, fulfilling a party pledge made in January. Of the established politicians, the party has attracted candidates from both the left and right, causing panic among traditional parties facing mass defections.

Macron won the May 7 election with a resounding 66% of the vote, but his mandate may not be as strong as those numbers suggest. Many in France made it clear that they were casting their votes against Le Pen, rather than for Macron.

Macron’s inauguration ceremony was steeped in French ritual and tradition.

He arrived at the Elysee Palace Sunday morning and walked down a long red carpet, where he was greeted by outgoing President Francois Hollande.

The two men shook hands between the French and European Union (EU) flags, a reminder of France’s prominent role in the 28-member bloc and Macron’s commitment to the EU.

In accordance with tradition, Macron escorted Hollande to his car. Hollande was driven away in a modest Citroen hatchback, leaving behind the leadership of a country battered by several deadly terror attacks and an economy that failed to pick up under his watch.

Hollande decided not to run for a second term. His popularity, and that of his Socialist Party, plunged after the Paris attacks in November 2015, in which 130 people were killed.

Hollande sent a flurry of emotional tweets as he left the palace, defending his leadership in a time of national hardship.

“I ensured that our country stood firm in these circumstances. I am proud to have succeeded,” he wrote.

He pointed out that under his presidency France helped keep Greece in the eurozone as its economy was on the brink of defaulting. He also pointed out that it was France, under his leadership, that got the world to sign onto a new climate change agreement.

“We have this satisfaction. I left the country in a better state than I found it in.”

Around 300 people were invited to the inauguration, and among his guests are trade union representatives, Nobel prize winners and 100 friends.

Twenty-one cannons were fired to salute Macron as the new president, as his motorcade left the palace in a downpour of rain. Following the inauguration, Macron laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in remembrance of World War I.

Macron was joined by his wife, Brigitte Trogneux, on Sunday, a woman who the new President has portrayed as a mentor. He has said he will likely give his wife an official role in his government.

The wives of French presidents have not typically taken on first lady duties as many do in countries such as the United States.

The couple were dressed by celebrated French designers. Trogneux wore a blue-lavender dress with a double-breasted jacket, designed for the occasion by Nicolas Ghesquiere from Louis Vuitton. Macron wore a dark blue suit from Jonas et Cie Price.

Macron, a former investment banker, has come under fire for living what some see as an extravagant life. His team made a point of explaining to the media that Trogneux’s dress, as well as her Louis Vuitton bag, were on loan from the world-famous fashion house. It also explained that Macron’s suit was worth 450 euro ($490) — a modest price tag for a momentous occasion.
France swears in Emmanuel Macron as the 25th President of France.