The French presidential elections concluded with Emanuel Macron being re-elected for a second term. His main opponent was right-wing populist Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally party who previously contested in 2012 and 2017. Macron secured 58.5% and Le Pen got 41.5% of the vote while the turnout was 71.99%. Le Pen has improved her vote share over five years from 33 to 41% over five years.
Paris, the capital of France, voted 85% for Macron, while regions across the English Channel and to the north of the country voted for Le Pen. French political commentators and Mr. Macron himself said that most people voted for him only to keep Ms. La Pen and her hardline nationalist policies out of power.
Mr. Macron’s return was also welcomed by analysts in terms of European Union stability amid the war in Ukraine with Russia, since France is the only nuclear-armed country in the bloc. He said that the country was “filled with so many doubts, so many divisions” that reflected in Le Pen’s campaign and said that he will work to resolve the underlying issues behind it.
“We have a lot to do and the war in Ukraine reminds us that we are going through tragic times where France must make its voice heard,” he said in his voctory speech as people waved French and EU flags and played French disco-pop group Daft Punk’s songs.
Marine Le Pen was being perceived as ‘pro-Russian’ because of ger stated opposition to sanctions and proposed policies of distancing France from the EU. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi commented positively on the victory in context of Europe.
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