According to polling companies, French President Emmanuel Macron easily won re-election to a second term on Sunday. In the middle of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, the outcome provided the European Union with the guarantee of stable leadership in the bloc’s only nuclear-armed nation, and France’s allies applauded it immediately.
A second five-year term for the 44-year-old centrist avoided the seismic upheaval of a power shift to firebrand populist Marine Le Pen, Mr. Macron’s presidential election adversary, who promptly admitted defeat but still appeared on track for her best-ever showing.
Mr. Macron pledged to reconcile the country
Mr. Macron pledged to reconcile the country “laden with so many doubts, so many differences” and attempt to ease the voter anger that fueled Ms. Le Pen’s campaign, acknowledging that “many” supporters voted for him simply to keep out Ms. Le Pen’s strongly nationalist far-right proposals.
“No one will be abandoned on the side of the road,” he stated in a victory speech set against the Eiffel Tower and a projection of the French national flag of blue, white, and red.
“We have a lot to accomplish, and the crisis in Ukraine reminds us that we are living in dreadful times,” he added, as hundreds of fans waved French and EU flags to the tune of Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”
During her campaign, Ms. Le Pen promised to weaken France’s relations with the EU, NATO, and Germany, steps that would have shaken Europe’s security architecture at a time when the continent is dealing with its deadliest crisis since World War II. Ms. Le Pen also spoke out against EU sanctions on Russian energy supplies throughout the campaign, and she was questioned about her former ties to the Kremlin.
Macron’s triumph was greeted by a chorus of European leaders. “Democracy triumphs, and Europe triumphs,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, tweeted, “Together, we will make France and Europe advance.”
Macron’s victory was praised by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi as “splendid news for all of Europe” and a boost to the EU’s “position as a protagonist in the greatest issues of our time, beginning with the war in Ukraine.”
Mr. Macron, who is 39 years old, defeated Le Pen in a landslide five years ago to become France’s youngest president. This time, the margin is projected to be substantially smaller: Opinionway, Harris, and Ifop, among other polling firms, predicted that Mr. Macron would win at least 57 percent of the vote on Sunday.
Ms. Le Pen was expected to receive between 41.5 and 43 percent of the vote, a still-unprecedented number for the 53-year-old on her third run at the French president. Official results from France’s presidential runoff will be announced later Sunday night. If the forecasts hold true, Mr Macron would become only the third president since the country’s creation in 1958 to win two elections, and the first in 20 years since incumbent Jacques Chirac defeated Le Pen’s father in 2002.
“In this defeat, I can’t help but feel a type of hope,” Ms Le Pen said, calling her results “a dazzling victory.” For the French far-right, breaking beyond the threshold of 40% of the vote is unprecedented. In 2017, Ms Le Pen was defeated by Macron 66 percent to 34 percent, and her father received less than 20 percent against Chirac.
She and hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was one of ten candidates eliminated in the first round on April 10, pounced on the June legislative election, encouraging voters to give them a parliamentary majority in order to stifle Macron.
This time, Ms Le Pen’s score reflected her years of work to make her far-right views more appealing to people. She made substantial advances among blue-collar voters in disgruntled rural regions and old industrial centres by focusing her campaign on cost-of-living issues.
The expected dip in support for Mr Macron compared to five years ago indicates that the president will face a difficult task in rallying support in his second term. Many French voters viewed the rematch for the presidency in 2022 less compelling than the 2017 election, when Macron was a newcomer to the political scene, having never previously held public office.
Leftist voters struggled
Leftist voters struggled over the options presented on Sunday, unable to identify with either the mainstream president or Ms. Le Pen’s passionately nationalist platform. Some went to the polls grudgingly to prevent Ms. Le Pen from delivering joyless ballots for Mr. Macron.
Stephanie David, a transportation logistics worker who endorsed a communist candidate in round one, stated, “It was the least bad alternative.” Jean-Pierre Roux, a retiree, couldn’t make a decision. He slipped an empty envelope into the ballot box on Sunday, appalled both by Le Pen’s politics and what he considered Macron’s arrogance, having also voted communist in round one.
“I don’t disagree with his beliefs, but I can’t tolerate the man,” Roux added.
Marian Arbre, on the other hand, voted for Mr. Macron in Paris “to prevent a government dominated by fascists and racists.” “There’s a serious danger,” the 29-year-old expressed concern.
Mr. Macron had a sizable lead in the polls going into the election, but he confronted a divided, nervous, and exhausted population. Macron’s first term was blighted by the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as months of violent protests against his economic policies, which provided fertile ground for Le Pen.
With the EU’s only seat on the United Nations Security Council and its sole nuclear arsenal, the vote in France was closely followed by the EU’s 27 member states. France is selling weaponry to Ukraine and has played a prominent role in international efforts to censure Russia.
Ms. Le Pen promised to bring down the cost of living and suggested that Mr. Macron’s presidency had left the country severely divided, appealing to working-class supporters who are struggling with rising prices.
Because of Le Pen’s proposed policies targeting Muslims and putting French citizens first in line for employment and benefits, Mr. Macron aimed to appeal to voters of immigrant and religious minorities. He also cited his environmental and climate successes in an attempt to entice young voters who supported left-wing candidates in the first round.