Emmanuel Macron enters a second term in office, defeating his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen. With the votes counted, Macron snatched the win with a solid 58.6% of the vote, leaving Eurosceptic nationalist, Le Pen receiving 41.4 percent of the votes – the highest in her three unsuccessful presidential bids.
In his victory speech, Macron acknowledged that many French citizens voted for him solely to keep Le Pen out. He promised to address the general sense that many French are witnessing their living standards slip.
“When you touch the heart, you can get to the truth.”
Emmanuel Macron thanks his supporters as he gives his victory speech in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, saying the election result “makes me very happy”.
Live: https://t.co/6GyfhNNnnm
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— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 24, 2022
A close win from the right
Although Macron boasts of a second term in office and is the first French president to do so in 20 years, Le Pen’s results reveal a deeply divided nation. It also is the closest the far right has ever come to taking power in France – breaking through the 40 percent threshold of the vote. In 2017, Le Pen was beaten by Macron’s 66 percent win and her father Jean Marie Le Pen, who founded the party, received less than 20 percent in 2002.
“Emmanuel Macron will do nothing to repair the fractures that divide our country and make our compatriots suffer.”
🇫🇷 Marine Le Pen speaks following her defeat in the French presidential election. pic.twitter.com/PNfN2GTdLg
— Metro Response | NewsNow (@MetroResponse) April 25, 2022
According to the Exit polls by Franceinfo, an estimated 28.2 percent of voters did not cast their votes. 6.35 percent of voters did not choose either candidate on blank ballots. 2.25 percent submitted spoiled papers.
All in the name of ‘Europe’
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Outside of France, Macron’s victory song was sung by the Spanish Prime Minister, Italian Premier, and even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted his congratulations. His victory was hailed as a relief for mainstream politics which has been rocked in recent years by Britain’s exit from the European Union and the chaotic election of Donald Trump. Whilst Eurosceptic National Rally party candidates Le Pen and Eric Zemmour have made it no secret of their criticisms of the European Union, they have stopped short of calling for a ‘Frexit’.
Congratulations, @EmmanuelMacron. Looking forward to continuing our work together on the issues that matter most to people in Canada and France – from defending democracy, to fighting climate change, to creating good jobs and economic growth for the middle class. pic.twitter.com/RHTBH4dn19
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 24, 2022
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