Macron Holds Off Far-Right Push in France

“Emmanuel Macron won a second term as president of France, triumphing on Sunday over Marine Le Pen, his far-right challenger, after a campaign where his promise of stability prevailed over the strong temptation of an extremist lurch,” the New York Times reports.

“Early projections at the close of voting, which are generally reliable, showed Mr. Macron, a centrist, gaining 58.2 percent of the vote to Ms. Le Pen’s 41.8 percent. His victory was much narrower than in 2017, when the margin was 66.1 percent to 33.9 percent for Ms. Le Pen, but wider than appeared likely two weeks ago.”

Washington Post: “Macron’s likely victory offers continuity for France and another five years of political stability for the 27-nation European Union, which has been buffeted by years of challenges from far-right populists, Brexit, an immigration crisis, and now Russia’s war in Ukraine. France and Germany are the pillars of the bloc, and policymakers in capitals across the continent had been watching the election with anxiety.”