On May 7th, 2017, France voted in its newest president, centrist and pioneer of the “En Marche!” movement, Emmanuel Macron. Macron beat out nationalist Marine Le Pen by a projected 2-to-1 margin. The defeat, which ushered in the youngest president in the history of the French Republic, provided a stark contrast to the November elections in America. Le Pen ran on an avid anti-immigration platform, similar to President Trump. However, while Trump’s campaign successfully placed him in office, Le Pen’s bid fell short. Macron, however, ran on a platform that emphasized business and and a more integrated European union through eurozone budget at eurozone finance ministers.
Similar to the American presidential race, and Britain’s exit from the European Union, the French election signifies a change in the political tide of a nation. A traditionally socialist country, the French left has not done so poorly in an election since 1969. However, unlike United States and British elections, voting Macron into office is a move against the far right. To many who voted for the newly elected president, their ballot was not in favor of him, but against Le Pen. Le Pen stood for many things, such as the withdrawal of France from the European Union, that the majority of the country simply could not back. However, the success of Le Pen in the first rounds of the election demonstrates a mounting support for the National Front, something that was impossible in the past. Many experts conclude that the far-right party could gain up to 100 seats in the new parliament. Additionally, many citizens still have persisting concerns surrounding their new president’s financial past, and the pro-business platform that he pushed throughout his campaign. Macron, well aware of these concerns, has expressed his goals to unite the country in his post-elections speeches and interviews. To one leftist magazine, Macron articulated his own fear that if he does not succeed in unifying the country, the far-right will gain enough support by the next round of presidential elections in order to take office.
