‍Brussels is bracing for a new French president and the choices couldn't be more different. 

As CGTN's Jack Parrock reports, Emmanuel Macron has consistently put himself forward as the pro-European Union choice in this French election and he has received uncharacteristically outspoken support from senior EU officials. 

His adversary, far right Front National politician Marine Le Pen, has meanwhile run on an anti-EU ticket and promised a Brexit style referendum for France.

”The European Union will die, because people no longer want it. We are again realizing that arrogant and hegemonic empires are destined to perish," she predicted.

Le Pen has been a member of the European Parliament since 2004 but has been plagued by accusations of misuse of EU funds, and the European Parliament just lifted her immunity against prosecution.

She also wants to cut public spending by taking France out of the single currency eurozone.

For the Brussels establishment, Macron is the clear favorite. But analysts say his election won't immediately make life easier for the EU. 

"The necessary thing of course to do from the French and German and Brussels perspective would be closer integration in the eurozone," noted Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research from Teneo intelligence. "But again, against a backdrop of 40 per cent of eurosceptic vote in the first round of the presidential election, I think it's going to be very difficult to muster the necessary majorities." 

The divided campaigns have focused on security issues, terrorism and the economy with unemployment stubbornly remaining at 10 percent in France. 

In Brussels, there is an acute awareness that despite strong polling, Macron has not yet won the election, and that if he doesn’t, a French exit from the European Union could lead to a collapse of the bloc itself.