Observers are saying Emmanuel Macron’s election as president of France is a victory for Europe. The election was not close. Macron received 66 percent of the vote compared to Marine Le Pen’s 34 percent. The president of the European Commission congratulated Macron on Twitter. “Happy that the French have chosen a European future,” he tweeted. A spokesman for Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel called the result a “victory for a strong and united Europe”. Le Pen, the National Front candidate, had said during the campaign that she would withdraw France from the European Union. She also opposed open immigration policies and called for tough measures against terrorism and crime. The final, run-off election took place two weeks after 11 candidates competed in the first round of the presidential election. For the first time, none of France’s traditional parties were represented in the final vote.