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 monitored with a lot of interest, I would like to extend today on behalf of all Quebecers and myself, my warmest congratulations to Emmanuel Macron, the elected president of the French Republic," Premier Philippe Couillard said in a statement.

Macron, a former economy minister and centrist, defeated Marine Le Pen of the right-wing Front National for 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 Québécois leader Jean-François Lisée, adding that he was looking forward to the pleasure of working together.

While voting ended around 2 p.m. ET in France, citizens who live abroad had their last chance to cast their ballot on Saturday.

In Canada, thousands of expats headed to polling stations in Montreal and Quebec City. The majority of the 85,000 eligible French voters in the country live in Quebec.

In Montreal, many waited for 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.