France's Macron steps down as En Marche! leader

By Hajer M’tiri

PARIS

French President-elect Emmanuel Macron resigned as head of his political party 'En Marche! (On the move) on Monday.

The party, founded last year, will continue to campaign in legislative elections to take place next month.

Macron’s decision comes a day after the centrist candidate scored a decisive win over the far-right National Front leader, Marine Le Pen, to become France's 25th president.

France’s Interior Ministry said that with all ballots counted early Monday, Macron won 66.1 percent of the vote, whereas Le Pen got 33.9 percent.

Richard Ferrand, En Marche! secretary-general told a news conference Macron resigned as the head of the movement at noon local time on Monday.

Catherine Barbaroux has been named as interim leader of the movement.

"The first act of the recasting of our political life ended yesterday with the accession of Emmanuel Macron to the presidency of the Republic," Ferrand said.

He added the movement will start the battle for the legislative elections and campaign under a new name: "La Republique En Marche".

The two-round legislative elections are scheduled to take place on June 11 and June 18 to elect the 577 members of the National Assembly, France’s lower and more powerful house of parliament.

Ferrand said the movement will field 577 candidates -- 50 percent will be women -- and their names will be unveiled before May 11.

A former investment banker, Macron served as top adviser on economic issues to outgoing President Francois Hollande between 2012 and 2014. He then served economy minister in Hollande’s Socialist government for two years.

Macron founded En Marche! in April last year.

With this victory, Macron, 39, who was unknown three years ago and mocked by his country's politicians and media when he announced his presidential bid, became the youngest president of France's Fifth Republic.

The official results will be announced Wednesday by the president of the Constitutional Council, Laurent Fabius.

Macron is set to appoint a Prime Minister and form a government as soon as he officially takes office on May 14.