Emmanuel Macron has been inaugurated as France's youngest ever president, at the age of 39.
He was sworn into office at the Elysee Palace in central Paris on Sunday morning local time.
The centrist comes into power after a clear victory over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on May 7. He takes over from President Francois Hollande, a Socialist party representative whose five years in power were plagued by stubborn unemployment and bloody terror attacks, as AFP reported.
Emmanuel Macron arrives to attend a handover
ceremony with outgoing President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace in
Paris, France on May 14, 2017. /Reuters Photo
Macron is tasked with rejuvenating France's struggling economy and lowering the country's stubbornly high unemployment rate.
"We have all the resources to start again," Macron said in his inauguration speech.
Macron's inauguration speech. /CGTN Video
Macron is expected to appoint a prime minister tomorrow, and other members of the new government the day after.
Outgoing French President Francois Hollande waits to greet President-elect
Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace
in Paris, France on May 14, 2017. /Reuters Photo
The woman behind
During the inauguration ceremony, Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte, 64, who used to be Macron's drama teacher. The 25-year age gap between the two has intrigued people around the world.
Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Trogneux arrives at the Elysee Palace to attend the handover ceremony between Emmanuel Macron and outgoing President Francois Hollande in Paris, France on May 14, 2017. /VCG Photo
For more about Brigitte, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.
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