World leaders are congratulating French President Emmanuel Macron on his re-election win and the defeat of the far-right opponent Marine Le Pen.
It marks the second five-year term for Macron, who is a centrist. Allies sighed in relief that a seismic upheaval was avoided if populist Le Pen took the leadership role.
But Le Pen did record her highest vote yet. While Macron scored a comfortable win in the election, it was clouded by the best-ever showing for the far right. His win was narrower than it was in 2017, when he first faced off against Le Pen.
Le Pen is anti-NATO and pro-Russia, which means if she won, the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict could have changed. Macron’s win makes him the first French president since 2002 to win a second term.
U.S. President Joe Biden congratulated Macron on Twitter, calling France “our oldest ally and a key partner in addressing global challenges.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also congratulated Macron, saying that the U.S. is looking forward to continuing close cooperation with France on global challenges.
In the U.K., British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called France “one of our closest and most important allies.” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Macron’s victory was a great expression “of liberal democracy in action in uncertain times.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he is looking forward to continuing to work together on issues that matter the most to Canadians and the French.
The EU also was happy with the results. European Council president Charles Michel said that his win means the EU can “count on France for five more years.” European Commission president Ursula von Der Leyen said she was “delighted” to be able to continue excellent cooperation between the EU and France.
Be the first to comment