French President Macron re-elected

It was at the Champs de Mars in Paris at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday when French President Emmanuel Macron arrived to give his victory speech on his re-election. Citizen welcomed his arrival, celebrating the victory against the far-right.

President Macron, a centrist, won 58.6% of votes, winning over far-right rival Le Pen (age 58) in the run-off vote. Macron had set a record for France as the youngest president of France when he became president five years ago. Now he has set a new one again as the leader re-elected for the first time in 20 years since President Jacques Chirac.

“I am aware that you voted, not because you supported me, but to prevent the far-right from taking power. I will become a president for everyone, not only for those who support me,” said President Macron in his speech. His campaign message focused on integration, as the gap between Le Pen, which had been 33 percentage points five years ago, bridged to 17 percentage points, amid growing number of abstention ballots, reflecting the public’s political division and distrust. With Macron’s re-election, Europe can maintain strong position against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Le Pen, who is pro-Russian, had been against restrictions on Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders around the world congratulated President Macron on his victory.


Youn-Jong Kim zozo@donga.com