Le Pen le weak
The Story
French president Emmanuel Macron secured a clear victory over rival Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s election to win a second five-year term in office.
How did the election go?
The 44-year-old incumbent beat his far-right rival after taking 58.8% of the votes, against Le Pen’s 41.2%. Congratulatory messages are being sent already by world leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
What’s Macron saying?
Macron arrived at a rally on the Champ de Mars, underneath the Eiffel Tower, after the result was announced, and appeared to be putting the election behind immediately, saying, “from now on, I am no longer the candidate for a party”. “I’m everyone’s president!”, Macron added as he reached out to Le Pen’s supporters who vowed to ‘continue the fight’.
How did Le Pen react to the result?
In her concession speech at her campaign Headquarters in Paris, Le Pen told supporters, “we could have seen a great wind of freedom sweeping across this country, but the French people have said otherwise”. While thanking those who voted for her, Le Pen vowed to continue to defend the citizens of France, “now like never before”.
Macron acknowledged that the election had left France ‘full of anger and division’, but pledged that “nobody will be left by the wayside”. Emphasizing the division, he noted that, “I know a lot of people voted for me tonight, not because of my ideals, but to block the far-Right”. He will now lead the European giant until 2027.
