Emmanuel Macron at a campaign rally in Chatellerault, France. Thomson Reuters Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election in a landslide on Sunday, setting himself up to be the youngest president in France's history.

Macron, a 39-year-old pro-business centrist, defeated Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist who called for France to exit the European Union, by a vote of 66.06% to 33.94%, according to the French Interior Ministry.

His victory served as a relief to European allies who had feared another populist victory after Britain's vote to exit the European Union and Donald Trump's ascension to the US presidency in last year's election.

"I know the divisions in our nation, which led some to vote for extremist parties," Macron said in a victory speech at his campaign headquarters. "I respect them. I will work to recreate the link between Europe and its peoples, between Europe and citizens."

Early reports showed that slightly more than 25% of voters absented, the highest rate in a French presidential election since 1969, according to The Guardian. A record 12% of voters cast a blank or "spoiled" ballot.

Macron's margin of victory was bigger than the gap shown by polls before the election, which had projected a Macron victory by about 20 points.

Here was the scene outside the Louvre when Macron's victory was announced:

A former investment banker, Macron served for two years under President Francois Hollande as minister of economy, industry, and digital data but had never held elected office. He only truly entered the public discourse when he rebelled against Hollande's Socialist Party and ran as an independent presidential candidate for his En Marche, or Onwards, movement.

Macron has expressed pro-business and pro-EU views. He built a reputation with his "Macron Law," a controversial bill that allowed, among other things, longer retail hours on Sunday.

The 48-year-old Le Pen said she called Macron to congratulate him and concede the election. Shortly after polls closed, Le Pen spoke with supporters, pledging a "profound reform" of her party, the National Front, in an effort to create "a new political force."

"Our patriotic and republican alliance will be the primary force of opposition to the program of the new president," Le Pen said on Sunday.

The National Front's vice president, Florian Philippot, said the party would rename and rebrand itself as part of the change pledged by Le Pen, according to Politico.

Le Pen is famed for her hardline anti-immigration views and opposition to the EU. She has taken steps to soften the inflammatory image of the National Front her father founded, and she gained significant support among younger voters who found her antiestablishment and pro-French-worker stances appealing.

Macron will be inaugurated next Sunday, when Hollande is expected to step down.

Despite Le Pen's loss, the election marked a record result for the National Front. Le Pen's 35% support was almost twice the most achieved by her father, Jean-Marie, who lost to Jacques Chirac in a presidential run-off in 2002.

Macron must now work to win a majority for his En Marche party in next month's parliamentary elections. The movement is just about one year old and will have to field hundreds of candidates in the elections.

Le Pen told supporters to look ahead to the parliamentary elections and pledged to be the main voice of opposition to Macron's movement.

Hollande released a statement via Twitter, saying he had called Macron to congratulate him and "expressed all my best wishes for the success of our country."

France's prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, released a statement congratulating Macron on his win, saying voters rejected the "fatal project of the extreme right" and upheld the values of France.

Congratulations from other leaders also poured in quickly. Theresa May, the prime minister of the UK, was quick to offer her congratulations in a statement released Sunday.

"The prime minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success," the statement said. "France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities."

US President Donald Trump offered his congratulations to Macron on Twitter:

Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, also tweeted his congratulations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Macron through a tweet from her spokesman Steffen Seibert in French.

"Your victory is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for the Franco-German friendship," Seibert wrote.

Jake Kanter contributed reporting to this story.