Malcolm Turnbull has congratulated France's new President.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his historic election win as French president.

But instead of a phone call, letter or email, Mr Turnbull sent a text message to Mr Macron after he defeated far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

“I got a response back thanking me for the congratulations and looking forward to working together,” Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

Mr Macron’s election comes at a time of shared projects for France and Australia, including the huge submarine deal with naval contractor DCNS, he said.

Both nations also have a shared history in terms of conflict.

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“We have been side-by-side in freedom’s cause for over a century and we are side-by-side in freedom’s cause in the Middle East today,” Mr Turnbull said.

“So we have great work to do to make the ties between France and Australia stronger still.”

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Labor leader Bill Shorten is pleased Mr Macron has been elected.

“When mainstream right-wing parties work with mainstream left-wing parties to block out the extremists we do better and I think that’s probably the lesson I take out of this for Australian politics,” he told reporters.