France: Emmanuel Macron wins presidential election – left-wing protests in Paris

WLike in 2017, Emmanuel Macron won the run-off election against Marine Le Pen and thus remains French President. However, this time the result was a little tighter: According to the first forecast, Macron received 58.8 percent of the votes and Le Pen 41.2 percent. In 2017, Macron won 66:34.

According to the first forecast, turnout in the runoff was 71.8 percent, around three percentage points lower than in the 2017 vote. It was also slightly higher in the first ballot two weeks ago. A total of 48.7 million French people were able to cast their votes by 8 p.m.

To the sounds of the European anthem “Ode to Joy”, Macron and his wife Brigitte, accompanied by various children, appeared in front of his supporters at around 9:30 p.m. in front of an impressive backdrop on the Champ-de-Mars at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, who had previously won the victory celebrated with the singing of the French national anthem.

Macron asked that neither Marine Le Pen nor her constituents be booed. It is also clear to him that many would have chosen him primarily to prevent Le Pen. He is now President of all French. He must find answers to the anger of the Le Pen voters. Today he is beginning a new era instead of just continuing his first term. But Macron also emphasized: “I stand for a humanistic, social, Europe-friendly and ecological project”.

Elsewhere in Paris, in the “Les Halles” district and on the Place de la République, it was already in the evening violent clashes between mostly left-wing anti-Macron demonstrators and the police, who used tear gas.

In an initial reaction, Marine Le Pen basically acknowledged her defeat, but accused the media, public, political opponents and Macron of a “brutal and violent” smear campaign against her. To have received almost 42 percent of the votes is also a win for them. She especially thanked the French in the countryside and in the provinces, from whom she received the majority of the votes. It is also in the lead in the socially disadvantaged overseas territories.

“We are more determined than ever to defend the French. We’ve been buried a thousand times, but I have hope and I’ll keep going,” Le Pen said. She accused Macron of destroying France for another five years. She and her followers, “who care about the nation,” would not submit to “the elites and Europe.” “I will never let the French down,” she stressed. According to French media reports, Le Pen had called Macron before her speech.

Le Pen’s competitor, Eric Zémmour, who is even further to the right, who was eliminated in the first ballot, spoke of Le Pen’s “announced defeat”, which he had “unfortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately” seen coming for years. He called Macron’s voters “sheep”. Zémmour’s hope is now to become a candidate for the right-wing national president in the 2027 presidential election – Macron will then not be allowed to run again after two terms. “The national bloc must unite,” said Zémmour.

Shortly after the results were announced, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who came in third in the first round of voting and who did not want to run again in 2027, also said: “Le Pen’s defeat is good news for the unity of our people,” explained the left-wing populist. However, Macron only remains in power due to a lack of alternatives and was only elected to prevent Le Pen. “He is surfing on a sea of ​​non-voters and abstentions,” said Mélenchon.

According to an initial analysis by the polling institute Ipsos, far more Mélenchon voters voted for Macron (42 percent) than for Le Pen (17) in the second ballot. 17 percent handed in an invalid ballot, 24 percent did not vote.

According to survey institutes, Macron received the largest share of votes among people with a monthly income of more than 3,000 euros, among voters over 60, young voters between 18 and 24 years of age and in cities with over 100,000 inhabitants. Le Pen, on the other hand, was ahead among voters earning minimum wage or less and in the 50-59 age group.

Macron voted together with his wife Brigitte on Sunday afternoon in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage in northern France. Hundreds of people had been waiting for the Macron couple in the city center of the coastal community and in front of the polling station. The President shook hands for minutes, gave autographs and had photos taken with him.

In the election campaign, he campaigned with a clearly pro-European program, while his rival Le Pen pursued a nationalist course. In the only TV duel between the two candidates last Wednesday, Macron Le Pen presented the content several times.

The parliamentary elections in France will follow in June, to which both Le Pen and Mélenchon referred directly. So far, Macron’s faction has had an absolute majority in the National Assembly, but according to various experts it will be difficult to defend it. Macron’s La République en Marche (LREM) party is significantly less popular than Macron himself.

A coalition with the Christian-democratic “Républicains” (LR), in which former President Nicolas Sarkozy is once again involved, would be possible.

Scholz and Lindner speak of a commitment to Europe

Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Macron’s election a “strong commitment to Europe”. He wrote on Twitter: “Félicitations, congratulations, dear President Emmanuel Macron. Your constituents also sent a strong commitment to Europe today. I am pleased that we will continue our good cooperation!”. Macron will travel to Scholz in Berlin on Monday.

FDP party leader and Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner spoke of a victory for the “united Europe”. “This election was a directional choice. It was about fundamental questions of values,” he wrote in “Twitter“.