In the Fifth Republic (starting with Charles de Gaulle in 1969), the previous record-holder was Valérie Giscard d’Estaing, who was 48 when he took up the role, followed by Nicolas Sarkozy, aged 52.
Some say Mr Macron's youth is a drawback in terms of experience, but to others it is a plus, bringing a sense of vitality and freshness which they hope translates to a new dynamism for the French economy and France’s image in the world.
On top of that he represents a new party – En Marche! (‘Let’s go!’ or ‘On the move!’) and a centrist politics which supporters see as a refreshing change to the traditional right and left-wing parties which have dominated French politics.
However he now faces the challenge of next month’s legislative elections at which the party will field candidates in all constituencies, many of them drawn from all walks of life, rather than professional politicians.
An OpinionWay survey shows him on course to win more seats than any other party and with a possible chance at an absolute majority.
François Bayrou of centrist party MoDem, who is backing Mr Macron, has said he does not see any likelihood of a ‘cohabitation’, referring to a situation where the majority of MPs oppose the president and his allies and he or she is obliged to appoint an opposition party prime minister.
That last happened under Socialist president Mitterrand who had to ‘cohabit’ with centre-right Jacques Chirac. Such an arrangement makes it hard for a president to see through his manifesto promises.
“After seeing the television debate and the revelation of the energy and courage of the future president, who can present themselves in front of the French people and say: ‘vote for us, so we can prevent this man from governing’? Who will go for such an absurdity?” Mr Bayrou told Le Figaro.
Despite his relative youth, Mr Macron is nonetheless no newcomer to politics, being a former Economy Minister to François Hollande. As such he gave his name to the 2015 Loi Macron (Macron Law), which aimed to boost the economy with measures like more Sunday and late-night opening (especially in certain ‘international tourist zones’), opening up the long-distance coach market, reforms to certain ‘regulated professions’ and privatising the airports in Nice and Lyon. Controversially, it was forced through by then Prime Minister Manuel Valls without a parliamentary vote.
Indeed that law is one of the reasons Mr Macron is associated with a – some say Blairite – ‘economic liberalism’, of which some on the left disapprove.
Though not its main architect, he also supported the controversial El Khomri Law, which allows for negotiating relaxation of restrictions on working hours – and has said he wants to go further with working law reforms.
Mr Macron has been described by Elysée general secretary Jean-Pierre Jouet as “full of elegance, intellectual vivacity and political sense”, though the Nice-Matin newspaper has referred to a certain air of “self-satisfaction” and “arrogance of the powerful”, which nonetheless masks “a certain amount of doubt” and a “thirst to please”.
The paper said Mr Macron gives the impression he is eager and ready “to do a lot”, which it said might be why former US president Barack Obama advised people to vote for him.
Born in Amiens to doctor parents, Mr Macron is said to have soaked up a passion for literature and philosophy from his maternal grandmother, Manette, who also encouraged his interest in left-wing politics.
At school he also enjoyed drama and formed a strong attachment to the theatre club teacher Brigitte who he met aged 15 – and who later became his wife.
On leaving the lycée aged 17 he is said to have told the married 40-something mother-of-three: ‘Whatever you do, I’ll marry you’, which he did 12 years later after she divorced.
Emmanuel’s parents sent him to finish his last year in Paris, where he attended the prestigious Lycée Henri IV – reportedly because of his passion for Brigitte, which his parents disapproved of due to the 24-year age gap, however they continued to meet up with each other. Today he is a stepfather to her two daughters and her son, who is older than him.
Mr Macron went on to study philosophy and public affairs before training at the famous Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), which has produced many of the French ruling class. He then worked in the Inspection Générale des Finances before becoming a highly-paid investment banker at Rothschild & Cie.
Jean-Pierre Jouyet is one of those who is said to have put forward Mr Macron to François Hollande, along with the economist Jacques Attali who met him 10 years ago when Mr Macron took part in the ‘Attali Commission’ which Nicolas Sarkozy set up to brainstorm ideas to help the economy.
In 2012 Mr Macron became deputy secretary-general of the Elysée, a senior member of Mr Hollande’s staff, before being appointed Economy Minister in August 2014.
One year later he left the Socialist party and then he founded his new centrist and pro-Europe movement En Marche! in 2016, saying he wanted a ‘democratic revolution’ and to ‘unblock France’.
