Bad character French President Emmanuel Macron easily won re-election with 56% of the vote

I am so jealous that French people get to vote on Sunday! It’s amazing alone, think of the weekend election. That being said, I’m not entirely sure about the whole “run-off election” thing. A few weeks ago, President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen won the most votes in the French general election. Sunday’s ballot was the only runoff election with Le Pen and Macron. People were worried! Le Pen has been a far-right figure in French and European politics for so many years. He was one of those politicians who sought to turn nationalism, racism, bigotry and anti-immigration into more mainstream political beliefs and to make them more palatable to the wider French population. This weekend, he got his ass kicked.

French President Emmanuel Macron was re-elected to a second term on Sunday. The results have brought relief to allies that nuclear-armed forces will not abruptly change course in the European Union and NATO’s efforts to punish and contain Russia’s military expansionism in the midst of the war in Ukraine.

The 44-year-old Middle East’s second five-year term saved France and Europe from an earthquake led by firebrand populist Marine Le Pen, a macro-presidential contender who conceded a quick defeat but was still on his way to the best-ever election show.

Acknowledging that “numerous” voters voted for Le Pen to keep the far-right nationalist far-right, Macron vowed to work to “alleviate many doubts, many divisions” and to appease the French. Voters who feed Le Pen’s campaign.

“No one will be left on the side of the road,” Macron said in a winning speech against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower and the hoisting of the blue-white-and-red tricolor French flag. He was elated by hundreds of supporters who happily waved French and EU flags.

[From NPR]

Macron is now the first person to win re-election and is serving multiple terms after Jack Chirac and Franোয়াois Mitterrand. People have been talking about how French voters were generally hesitant about Macron, but they still came to vote for him because no one wanted to see Le Pen in power. The election was clearly incredibly important in the European Union, especially given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Macron’s role as one of Europe’s most important diplomats (he still maintains an open line of communication with Putin). While all this is good news, does anyone think that Brigitte Macron was a bit shocked? I don’t think she was ready for a second term as the First Lady of France.

Photo courtesy of Avalon Red.