“Et un, et deux, et cinq ans de plus!”. Beneath the Eiffel Tower, supporters of Emmanuel Macron, who won the presidential elections against Marine Le Pen for the second consecutive year, chant wrapped in tricolors.
Macron received 18.7 million votes, 58.55% of the votes cast. 13.3 million French voted for the challenger Marine Le Pen, which corresponds to 41.45% of the votes. At 28.01%, the abstention marked the highest voting rate since 1969.
Great disappointment among Le Pen supporters, although the leader immediately announced a “sensational result” promising the fight for June’s parliamentary elections. After sunset, expected by a few thousand supporters, Macron arrived under the Eiffel Tower in a very different atmosphere than 5 years ago when France celebrated its youngest President (39 years) and he – alone – measured the steps of the perimeter from the Louvre to the notes the ode to joy. This music, a symbol of Europe, faded into the background tonight as Macron approached the stage, no longer alone but hand in hand with Brigitte, surrounded by a group of very young boys. Then the oddly short speech announcing “a new era” and promising “to respond to the country’s wrath.” He was also applauded by several government ministers, from Jean-Yves Le Drian (foreign affairs) to Clément Beaune (European affairs). Many of them already know – like Prime Minister Jean Castex – that the adventure is coming to an end for them. Macron promised that the new mandate “will not be a continuation of the past 5 years” marked by deep crises like that of the Yellow Vests. However, the President’s first thought on stage was for those who “don’t share our ideas” but voted for him to “block the way to the right”: “In the next few years – he promised – I will get into debt from them”.
In the election, France again had to vote for a candidate who was a bulwark against the extreme right. It happened 20 years ago with Jacques Chirac, the last president to be re-elected to the Elysée before Macron, who opposed Marine’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. It was the first time that a leader of the Front National, the extreme right, reached the second round of the presidential election, and the shock for France was enormous: every day, thousands of people took to the streets of Paris to say no to everything Ultra right in power. Nothing of the sort this time, among the Sorbonne students it was said “neither Macron nor Le Pen”. For this reason, Macron, who only held two rallies in an election campaign that was reduced to a minimum, comes up with completely different accents and topics. “The anger and disagreements that have prompted so many people to vote for the far right must find an answer — said the president — must find an answer. This will be my responsibility and that of those around me.” Macron’s eyes, along with those of many French excluded from the battle for the Elysée, have been turning to the left for days. The traditional left is being crushed, with Socialist Party candidate Anne Hidalgo at 1.7%, the ecologists under 5%. Only Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the tribune of France Insoumise’s radical left, is flying the flag of the so-called “People’s Union”.
A few hundred protesters, mainly young people from the “Antifas” groups, have led demonstrations in Paris and other French cities against the re-election of President Emmanuel Macron. Immediately after the announcement of Macron’s victory, between 250 and 300 anti-FAS demonstrators marched in central Paris – the Les Halles district – shouting “Macron go away” and clashing with the police. Under the slogans “Marine Le Pen sucks” and “Manu Macron, sucks”. The procession reached the Place de la République. On the way there, objects and stones were thrown at the police, overturned dumpsters and parked mopeds. Violence in Rennes in the north-west, where 250 people gathered in the center behind a banner that read ‘What we don’t get from the elections, we get from the square’. Slogans include “Macron and his police force us to war” and “Down with the state, the cops and the fascists”. Several garbage containers were set on fire by the intervention of the fire brigade. Seven demonstrators were arrested. Accidents also occurred in the center of Nantes during a protest march of 400-500 people, as well as in Toulouse shouting “Neither Macron nor Le Pen, revolution”. 200 marched at Caen, a hundred at Strasbourg, without incident.
ANSA agency
Rebus majority, crucial elections in June. Ambush Melenchon (ANSA)
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his confirmation at the Elysée and wished him “success” in his second term. This was announced by the Kremlin, quoted by Interfax. Chinese President Xi Jinping also congratulated the encore. US President Joe Biden congratulated Macron and said their two countries will continue to work together to “defend democracy.” “I look forward to continuing our close cooperation, particularly to support Ukraine, defend democracy and fight climate change,” Biden tweeted, calling France an “important partner.” “Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron, a true friend of Ukraine,” President Voldymyr Zelenskyy tweeted in French.
ANSA agency
“Italy and France and the EU together in the challenges, starting with Ukraine,” says the Prime Minister (ANSA)