Quebec welcomes Emmanuel Macron's victory in France

The Quebec government is welcoming the election of Emmanuel Macron as France's next president after a volatile and scandal-filled election.

"Following a campaign that we monitoredwith a lot of interest, I would like to extend today on behalf of allQuebecersand myself, my warmest congratulations to Emmanuel Macron, the elected president of the French Republic," PremierPhilippeCouillardsaidin a statement.

Macron, a former economy minister and centrist,defeatedMarine Le Pen of the right-wing Front Nationalfor France's top spot.

Quebec's Official Opposition also welcomed France's new leader.

"All of our congratulations to Emmanuel Macron for a decisive win," tweeted Parti Qubcoisleader Jean-Franois Lise, adding that he was looking forward to the pleasure of working together.

While voting ended around2 p.m. ET in France, citizens who live abroad had their last chance to cast their ballot on Saturday.

In Canada, thousands ofexpatsheaded topolling stations in Montreal and Quebec City.The majority of the 85,000 eligible French voters in the countrylive in Quebec.

In Montreal, many waitedfor hours in the rain outside a private school in Outremont to vote.

It was the only polling station in the city slated to serve the 57,000 French citizens eligible to vote, despite calls for extra stations after thousands waited hours outside to vote in the first round in late April.