Emmanuel Macron addressed his supporters after the initial results in the second round of the French presidential election was announced in Paris on May 7, 2017 (Photo: EPA/VNA)

The centrist's emphatic victory, which also smashed the dominance of France’s mainstream parties, will bring huge relief to European allies who had feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain's vote to quit the EU and Donald Trump's election as U.S. president.

With the vast bulk of votes counted, Macron had around 65.5 percent to Le Pen's 34.5 - a gap wider than the 20 or so percentage points that pre-election surveys had suggested.