In the end, the French election wasn’t even close as Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest-ever president with a crushing 31-point victory over insurgent (and Donald Trump-endorsed) right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen.
Macron’s final popular vote tally of 65.5 percent was a landslide and social media reacted to his win in a mixture of elation, relief and confusion as to why people were worried he might lose out to Le Pen in the first place.
President Trump was among the first to congratulate Macron on his easy victory, tweeting that he was looking forward to working with the new French leader. Trump’s congratulations to Macron were at odds with his previous public support of Le Pen during a fraught campaign; indeed, the U.S. president drew parallels between his own outsider campaign and the rise of the Front National during this French election cycle. Former President Barack Obama backed Macron for Sunday’s second round.
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Hillary Clinton tweeted that Macron’s victory was a triumph for France, the EU and the world, a pointed reference to Le Pen’s nationalist and anti-EU platform. Clinton also said it was a defeat for Russian attempts to interfere in another election after Friday’s hacked email dump designed to smear Macron. Clinton slyly had a dig at the American media for referencing the Russia hacking, which she believes was a key factor in her loss to Trump in November.
In France, many celebs who had supported Macron on social media earlier in the week, such as Dany Boon and Florence Foresti, remained quiet after the victory. Some industry heavyweights weighed in with retweets and comments, with Le Pacte head Jean Labadie and Wild Bunch head Vincent Maraval retweeting congratulations from various figures such as Bill Clinton and Jeremy Corbyn, but making extended political points about Macron’s policies. Labadie said he hopes the comparisons to John F. Kennedy end at Macron’s youth because “we don’t need the Bay of Pigs or acceleration of war in Vietnam,” while Marval joked that current president Francois Hollande “has been reelected” and reminded voters to “think of the weak … that don’t want uncontrolled pursuit of growth as destiny.”
A whole host of other world leaders and Hollywood stars took to Twitter on Sunday to offer their congratulations to Macron and their relief at his victory, though noted conservative Roseanne Barr seemed to be less pleased.
Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017
Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world.
Defeat to those interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can’t talk about that)
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 7, 2017
Congratulations to the people of France who today, by an overwhelming vote, rejected racism and xenophobia.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 7, 2017
“There is no happiness without freedom and no freedom without courage.” Thank you to the brave. #film #election #liberty #republic #france pic.twitter.com/vINAmxwzw0
— Luc Besson (@lucbesson) May 8, 2017
Congratulations to France! You appear not to have been affected by the effects of the present anomaly in the time-space continuum.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 7, 2017
I’ve been a stubborn hold-out but after today I’m gonna start calling Freedom fries French fries again.
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) May 7, 2017
Dope. And won’t lie. I’m jealous. #Macron https://t.co/5AGWqxe0wL
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 7, 2017
Vive le France!!!!! Oh, how happy this makes your friends in the United States. You voted for moving forward. #neverback
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) May 7, 2017
Thank you FRANCE!!!!! MACRON WON BY 65% of the vote!!!!!
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) May 7, 2017
Congratulations to the French people and their new President Emmanuel Macron!!
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) May 7, 2017
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) May 7, 2017
Congrats France!
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) May 7, 2017
Quelle merde. #ViveLaFrance!!! https://t.co/MnhUxiUbNW
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) May 7, 2017
espérons que macron n’est pas kennedy pas besoin de la baie des cochons et de l’acceleration de la guerre au vietnam
— JeanLabadie (@LabadieLePacte) May 7, 2017
Demain aux legislatives, pensez aux faibles, aux declasses a ceux qui ne veulent pas de la recherche effrenee de la croissance comme destin
— VINCENT MARAVAL (@MARAVALV) May 8, 2017
So France and Macron beat the pants off Le Pen and Puti. Maybe theres a new Lafayette that can come here and help us (US) once again?
— Peter Henry Fonda (@iamfonda) May 7, 2017
France chooses German Occupation & Swiss Banksterism again.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 7, 2017
