Emmanuel Macron has gone from a young newcomer to a vital international actor and weighty decision-maker in the European Union in just five years as France's president. He has been heavily involved in attempts to stop Russia's war in Ukraine. He has now been re-elected for a second term, making him the first French president in a generation to do so.

        With his nonstop diplomatic activity, the outspoken 44-year-old centrist doesn't always get his way, but he has earned his spot on the world stage. He'll most likely return to his work on Ukraine.

        After the "yellow vest" protests against social inequality drove his approval ratings to new lows in 2018, Macron was able to reclaim some of his popularity at home. According to polls, many French people like his presidential stature and believe he is capable of dealing with significant global problems such as the COVID-19 epidemic and the Ukraine crisis.

        They also demonstrate that he is frequently regarded as arrogant and out of touch with the general public. Particularly during the yellow vest protests, Macron was labeled "president of the affluent." Some detractors also accuse him of having an authoritarian mindset, blaming him for violent police encounters during street protests.

        Though he comes from a long line of presidents, this is his first elected position. Macron attended France's elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration and worked as a top civil servant before becoming a banker at Rothschild and then an economic adviser to Socialist President Francois Hollande.

        From 2014 to 2016, he served as Economy Minister in Hollande's cabinet, bringing him from behind the scenes into the spotlight. Macron won the presidency in 2017 after a series of political surprises, including a corruption scandal implicating a prominent challenger. In the runoff that year, he comfortably defeated far-right contender Marine Le Pen on pledges to open up France's economy in order to stimulate job creation and attract international investment. He beat her again on Sunday, but the battle was tighter this time, and Macron admitted that some people backed him just to protect Le Pen from becoming president.

        Macron, who characterizes himself as "a president who believes in Europe," feels that the EU is the best option for France to strengthen its position in the globe. As a strong supporter of the entrepreneurial spirit, he has made it easier to recruit and dismiss employees while also making it more difficult to receive unemployment benefits. He has been accused by critics of eroding worker rights.

        Then the epidemic struck, and he accepted the government's critical role in sustaining the economy by investing heavily and promising to help employees and businesses through public aid "at whatever cost." Macron delivered an impassioned homage to his wife, Brigitte, during his largest campaign event outside Paris earlier this month, calling her the person "I care the most about." They could be seen kissing one other on the stadium's enormous displays.

        They came hand in hand on the square near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday evening, when Macron delivered his victory address. Brigitte Macron, who is 24 years his older, has been active in charities and other initiatives that promote culture, education, and health as first lady.

        Their affair began when he was a student at the high school in northern France where she was teaching. She was managing the drama club as a married mother of three at the time. Macron, a bibliophile, was a member. Macron spent his last year of high school in Paris. She finally divorced and relocated to Paris to be with him. They tied the knot in 2007.