Emmanuel Macron was sworn in as French president Sunday following his landslide victory a week ago, in which he vowed to unite a country with deepening divisions.
At 39, Macron becomes the youngest president in France’s history, and the youngest leader since Napoleon. He has little experience in governance, serving as economy minister for two years as his most senior role.
But the young leader has promised to breathe new life into French politics and kickstart the country’s sluggish economy.
In his speech, Macron said he would restore France’s global standing.
“France is only strong if it’s prosperous. France is only a model for the world if it is exemplary,” he said.
“We will have given back to the French a taste for the future – and pride in what they are.
“The whole world will pay attention to what France says – because we will, together, go beyond our fears and anxieties.
“We will, together, be an example of a people that knows how to affirm their values, their principles – those of democracy and the republic.”