As in most European capitals, the re-election of the staunch European was happily welcomed in Brussels. On the other hand, there is concern that EU critic Marine Le Pen was closer than ever to moving into the Élysée Palace.
Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte celebrate after winning the election.
In Europe, Emmanuel Macron’s clear election victory was greeted with great relief. The leaders of the European Union and the heads of government of neighboring countries welcomed his victory in the presidential elections in France. They saw it as good news for Europe that the staunch supporter of European unification was given a second term. Shortly after the first projections were announced on Sunday evening, the first congratulatory messages arrived in Paris.
One of the first to congratulate Macron on his re-election was EU Council President Charles Michel: “In these troubled times we need a stable Europe and a France fully committed to a more sovereign and strategic European Union,” wrote the Belgian on Twitter, obviously alluding to the Russian attack on Ukraine. With Macron’s election victory, Europe can count on France for five more years.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, were also delighted with Macron’s victory, who has been campaigning for years to deepen European integration. The top politicians in Brussels may have been even more relieved than the 59 percent for the liberal incumbent by the fact that the declared EU opponent Le Pen is not moving into the Élysée Palace.
A collective sigh of relief in Brussels
Even though the head of the Rassemblement national (RN) has moderated her criticism of Brussels in recent years and abandoned some of her most controversial projects, such as a return to the franc, her program has remained deeply nationalistic. Although she assured that she no longer wanted to leave the EU, her election victory would have isolated France in Europe and put her on a course of confrontation with the European institutions.
Their entire political project aimed at the isolation of France and the disintegration of Europe. In particular, her plan to put French law above European law represented a frontal attack on the EU. Her suggestion that the French should be given priority over the citizens of other EU countries when it came to jobs, social benefits and social housing was also incompatible with the principle of freedom of movement – a core element of the EU.
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi rated Macron’s re-election as “wonderful news for all of Europe”. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who feared an end to close cooperation with Paris if Le Pen won, spoke of one «strong commitment to Europe». In an unusual step, he had just before the casting vote with his counterparts from Spain and Portugal in an article for the newspaper “Le Monde” called for the election of Macron.
There was a risk of a break in the front against Putin
In Europe, Le Pen’s proximity to the Kremlin had caused criticism and unrest. Although the right-wing nationalist clearly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine, it is not forgotten, especially in Eastern Europe, that she maintained a close relationship with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin for years. During the election campaign, Macron also accused her of the fact that her party had taken out a loan in the millions from a bank close to the Kremlin and that her party colleagues in parliament had voted against supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees.
While there was no reaction from the Kremlin until Monday morning, congratulations Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Macron to vote in the evening. Selenski was confident that Macron and he would “move to new victories together”. Also the American President Joe Biden wrotehe looks forward to continuing close cooperation in support of Ukraine, defense of democracy and fight against climate change.
The joy at Macron’s re-election is mixed with concern that Le Pen has performed better than ever with 41 percent. Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander de Croo stressed, the democratic forces must stick together against the extremists who want to turn people against each other, undermine the rule of law and weaken Europe. Macron’s victory was a strong decision for “the values of the Enlightenment”.
It also gives food for thought that many voters voted for Macron reluctantly in the second round and for lack of better alternatives. A good 28 percent abstained, and a large number of voters cast invalid ballots in protest. Also of concern is the almost total marginalization of mainstream parties and the polarization in France between the extreme right and the radical left.
Despite the defeat, Le Pen does not want to give up
Le Pen admitted her defeat shortly after the first projections were announced, but still wanted her result of 41 percent to be understood as a “resounding success”. You can’t help but “feel a form of hope,” said the 53-year-old and announced that she would continue to be involved in French politics in the future. While it’s her best result, it must also be seen as a missed opportunity for the right-wing nationalist, who lost in the presidential election for the third time.
Malice for Le Pen came from far-right candidate Éric Zemmour, who finished fourth in the first round with 7 percent. Although he had called for her election, he had seen her defeat coming for years, said the former publicist. It is the eighth time that a Le Pen has lost in the elections, said Zemmour, referring to Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie, who made it into the runoff in 2002 but was clearly defeated there.
The left-wing radical Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who came third in the first round of voting, just behind Le Pen, considered it good news for “the unity of our people” that the voters had refused to trust Le Pen with their future. He turned his attention to the general election in June, which he described as the “third round”. Mélenchon called on voters to vote for his Union populaire in order to make him prime minister.
Many leftists and Greens, who had supported Macron against Le Pen, urged the president to do more for climate protection and social justice in return. Macron had promised more ecological and social policies after the first round of elections in order to win over voters from Mélenchon, the Socialists and the Greens. In his victory speech in front of the Eiffel Tower that evening, Macron assured that he was aware that their support would oblige him for years to come.