(08 May 2017) – Emmanuel Macron’s win in the French presidential election was welcomed across Europe, with many leaders hailing a victory for the European Union.
Leaders breathed a sigh a relief when the results of the French elections came in yesterday evening (7 May). Macron’s large score, with more than 66% of votes, was bigger than polls had predicted, securing a comfortable win for Macron over far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
The young centrist leader, 39, adopted a resolutely pro-European stance during the election campaign, drawing the sympathy of numerous European political figures worried by the rise of right-wing populism in France.
While Le Pen had campaigned for France to withdraw from the eurozone, the Schengen borderless travel zone and, ultimately, from the EU itself, Macron emphasised the benefits of EU membership and committed to follow the bloc’s common rules, including those related to budget deficits.
Macron also showed his determination to relaunch the Franco-German relationship, seen as the engine of Europe, by paying visits to Chancellor Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz, who will face each other in national elections in September. (EurActiv)