Victory and challenge: on Emmanuel Macron’s re-election

Emmanuel Macron re-election in Sunday’s presidential race This is a relief not only for the political centrists of France but also for its allies in Europe and America. The election took place amid crises – high inflation; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed France into The tough choice of banning Moscow Even at the expense of higher energy prices; And the growing political disenchantment among the youth of the country. In the first round the far right reached its all-time high – Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemour together received over 30% of the vote. Still, Mr Macron won a decisive victory in Sunday’s run-off, with a vote share of 58.5% against Ms Le Pen’s 41.5%, indicating the center could still hold onto France. The banker-turned-politician, who five years ago emerged as a surprising champion of French Republican values ​​against far-right populism, has once again managed to rally the anti-populist base. He went to the electorate with three broad themes: the economic performance of his administration, the defense of France’s Republican values, and support for European sovereignty. While France’s quick return to growth and low unemployment rates helped her paint a solid macroeconomic picture, her attack on Ms. Le Pen as a threat to French Republican values ​​and the tough stance she took on Ukraine helped her. Liberal, center- allowed to mobilize. Right-wing and pro-European sections of the electorate.

Mr Macron’s victory provides stability for both France and the EU. But a closer look at the two rounds of elections reveals a more complex picture. The French political landscape, historically dominated by centre-right conservatives and centre-left socialists, has undergone a major transformation. Mr Macron has emerged as the poster boy for the centrist faction, which is mostly status quo voters. And their major challengers are far-right, with anti-Semitic and Islamophobic roots. The third faction is led by the leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who finished third in the first round. The surge of far-right and left-wing candidates shows that there is widespread resentment among voters against power. And far-right populists, with their cocktail of anti-establishment welfareism and anti-immigrant rhetoric, are better equipped to quell this anger than the left. Ms. Le Pen may not be strong enough to seize power right now, but she was strong enough to pose a credible challenger to Mr. Macron. In his victory speech, Mr Macron acknowledged there is growing anger among sections of voters against the political establishment and promised to deal with it. Their biggest challenge going forward will be to reach out to the disaffected sections of the society, to quell the growing anger within the working class and to create credible alternatives to the extreme right wing problem.