In a sweeping victory, centrist candidate Macron won by over 66% to 34% of the vote, defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in a decisive French election.39-year-old Macron had promised to fight division and promote hope and reconciliation, setting up his centrist En Marche movement about a year back that hailed a massive historic result for the far right.
His win ends the decades-old dominance of the two traditional main left-wing and right-wing parties. In his first speech addressing jubilant supporters after the election results were announced, he said that a new page was being turned in French history.
"I want it to be a page of hope and renewed trust," he said. Macron is President Hollande's protege and then economic minister, a former investment-banker running a grass root radical movement geared towards slashing the public sector. He created a profile for himself that resonated among people desperate for something new and optimistic, in the prevailing pessimistic mood in France.
His views have come across as young and compared to Marine Le Pen's message on anti-immigration, anti-EU and anti-system. The big television debate before the elections on May 3rd positioned Le Pen as coming from the same extremist background as her father (who was considered a Socialist puppet in the hands of Germany's Angela Merkel) with the potential to destabilise the far-right presidency and a threat to global finance.
Macron has vowed to fight "the forces of division that undermine France" and was elected on a pro-EU platform, while Le Pen threatened to pull out of the single currency and hold an in/out referendum on France's membership of the EU.
For the UK, Macron believes there is a 'strong mutual interest' in maintaining close ties with the UK, and that punishing UK for a hard Brexit will only hurt France. At a programme in BBC Radio 4, Macron said “I don't think anybody has an interest in a hard Brexit. I think we need to build a new relationship. There are interests on both sides. There is a negotiation to be carried out.”
Theresa May had spoken to Macron briefly on Saunday night, and it is said that she “reiterated that the UK wants a strong partnership” after Brexit. But warned him to respect the Le Touquet agreement that allows Britain to have border controls in Calais. While campaigning in London, May said that she was elected with a strong mandate which he (Macron) can take as a strong position into the negotiations. “ We need to ensure we have an equally strong mandate and an equally strong negotiating position.”
Macron's win has brought in great relief to many French. Speaking to the BBC, a student Margot Cadic, from Paris, said "I was a bit nervous during the day, but I'm relieved. I wish there had been a bigger gap between him and Marine Le Pen. " She had voted for Mr Macron in both stages of the election because she felt he represented her centrist and open values.
"The country would appear divided, but at least Macron had a large victory. Hopefully, he'll be able to unite France. He understands that some people in France feel left out and misunderstood. He said he wants to represent them too. That will be difficult. Both left and right parties have to reconsider their position, and if they'd be willing to change their views to have a coalition with him."
The common people have been rejoicing the win with celebratory meals, music and a great sense of sureness, while the The Front National will overseeing that Macron delivers his promises. For now, democracy and common sense seems to have prevailed.
