Macron stays: Why the re-election gives a sigh of relief
Paris
In the two weeks before his re-election, Emmanuel Macron often takes off his jacket, steps into a crowd and allows himself to be insulted. “I voted for you in 2017, but I regret it,” a woman in northern France told him.
“Macron, resign!” chanted to young people in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis. “President of the rich,” echoes others. Before the run-off election for the presidential palace, the 44-year-old goes to the places where people don’t crowd forward for a selfie, but to tell him to his face what’s going wrong in France.
On the evening of the runoff election, in front of the brightly lit Eiffel Tower, in the stands under the cheers of his supporters, Macron can then reap the fruits of this time. French and EU flags were distributed, the European anthem “Joy, beautiful god sparks” was played. For the re-elected, however, it is not a triumph, he is humble. “I know that many of our fellow citizens voted for me today to prevent the far-right’s ideas and not to support mine.”
Arrogant and aloof?
The way out of the comfort zone of the Élysée Palace, down from the lecterns in the campaign halls, that ultimately pays off for Macron. With a majority of 58.55 percent according to the preliminary official final result, people confirmed the 44-year-old for a second term on Sunday. Previously, the eloquent Macron in a smart suit had often been criticized as arrogant and aloof. Many accused the graduate of an elite university and investment banker, who made a vertical start in the Élysée Palace in 2017, of not being close to the people.
Macron has now deliberately gotten close to where people had previously voted in droves for the left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon or his competitor in the runoff, the right-wing nationalist Marine Le Pen. The fact that they were able to get so close to him in the meantime was due to the fact that months beforehand she had campaigned on the street in the regions and presented herself as an empathetic listener to the concerns of those with low incomes. At the time, Macron had not even declared his candidacy and was probably too sure of his re-election.
The first round of voting became a reality check. Even if Macron ultimately scored slightly more percentage points than polls had previously forecast, he had to admit on election night that nothing had been won. The resigned and the left now became the tipping the scales for which Macron had to court. He could not rely on an action by everyone against the right. Mannerort’s frustration with Macron is too great.
And so he became insistent. Macron warned against Le Pen’s simple recipes and her nationalist plans. The president clearly opposed the right-wing nationalist’s agitation against foreigners and Muslims: “France is a bloc, you don’t sort it out, you don’t select it, you love it as a whole, the way it is.” The president also left no doubts about the scope of the election: “This election is also a referendum for or against the EU (…), environmental protection and therefore also a referendum for or against what we fundamentally are”.
Anything but Le Pen
Parties, associations, athletes, cultural workers – they all emphatically called on the population not to vote for Le Pen, not to put her in office with one abstention, even if it hurts to vote for the only one who prevents her Can: Macron. In the end, it had an effect – even if many compatriots were reluctant to vote for Macron to prevent President Le Pen.
The sigh of relief in Berlin and Brussels should have been great on election night. Nobody there really wanted to imagine a victory for the eurosceptic Putin friend with nationalist plans for France. Now the liberal pro-European Germany and Europe remains. Macron plays a leading role in ensuring that the Europeans act as one in the Ukraine crisis and in jointly cushioning the consequences.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will now be able to continue to act in tandem with Macron at the top of Europe. Macron and his government always clearly named Germany as a key partner. Le Pen, meanwhile, made no secret of wanting to sever these ties and prefer alliances with other Eurosceptics.
Bad news for Putin
Macron’s re-election for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is likely to be bad news, since with Le Pen in the Élysée Palace he could have used France as a rift in the European front against his country. With Macron, however, there is no doubt that they will close ranks in the face of war. And the fact that Macron continues to seek telephone contact with Putin could be useful again for a negotiation solution.
Other construction sites await the election winner in their own country. After a first term in office with reforms being postponed, a population grumbling about the decline in purchasing power during the crisis and young people demanding decisive action in the face of climate change, Macron is in demand on many fronts. Education and the health sector also need to be modernized.
In addition to promises and concessions in the final stages of the campaign, Macron also attuned people to the strains ahead. “There is no independence without economic strength, we also have to work more.” Specifically, it is about retirement at 65, a hot topic that Macron will soon have to fight alongside other urgent construction sites.
A notice: This report is part of an automated service from the German Press Agency (dpa), which works according to strict journalistic rules. It WILL NOT be edited or checked by the AZ online editors. Please send questions and comments to [email protected]
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