How did Macron win?

Macron himself is something of an enigma,

a former investment banker who was once a member of the Socialist Party,

he served under President Hollande as the Minister of Economy before becoming an independent

and eventually forming En Marche.

In his political views, he 's managed to strike a balance,

supporting a free market as well as left wing social issues, but is overall labelled a centrist,

although he stated that he's neither right nor left.

In what was a vitriolic campaign, Macron 's victory is the result of several different factors coinciding.

First of all, one must consider whom he was running against.

Elections were first held on April 23, 2017 but with no candidate achieving a majority of the vote,

a runoff was held with the front runners that pitted Macron head to head with Le Pen.

Many voters felt Le Pen 's message projected pessimism and negativity.

Meanwhile, Macron took inspiration from Barack Obama 's 2008 US presidential campaign,

and organized a grassroots movement that focused on youth, inclusion and optimism.

Le Pen 's polling numbers continued to drop leading up to the election.

Afterwards she conceded to Macron.