The first round of the election held in French Republic drew attention around the world. Most observers believed that not only the future of that country, but also that of Europe hinged on its outcome. Some even predicted that the French would vote for Frexit, similarly to past year’s vote for Brexit in the UK. Den already covered it in the article “A Fateful Election in France,” stressing that the main intrigue of this year’s presidential race was whether leader of the movement En Marche! Emmanuel Macron would advance to the second round, as he was the only one of the four frontrunners to favor strengthening Europe and maintaining sanctions against Russia. Another question was whether the vote’s results would agree with those of the opinion polls, which put Macron ahead of the leader of the Front National, who advocates withdrawal of France from the EU and the euro area.
It is no exaggeration to say that Europe breathed a sigh of relief after learning of the results. Just as the polls predicted, Macron bested Le Pen by two percentage points. According to released data, he won 23.9 percent of the vote to Le Pen’s 21.4 percent. They are trailed by conservative former prime minister Francois Fillon with 19.9 percent and far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon with 19.6 percent.
“THE NEW FACE OF FRENCH HOPE”
The head of the German government Angela Merkel believes that the first round of the presidential election in France was a victory for “course for a strong EU + social market economy.” This statement was posted on Twitter on behalf of the head of the German government by her spokesman Steffen Seibert.
Macron himself commented on his victory in the first round as follows: “The people of France wanted change so badly… In one year we have entirely changed the French political situation.” Addressing his supporters, he said: “You took our national destiny into your hands. Remain what you have been so far, determined and imaginative… You are the new face of French hope…”
REUTERS photo combination
By the way, a number of comments about Macron’s victory in the first round have appeared on Ukrainian social networks. In particular Leonid Shved posted on Facebook: “A Frenchman went against the system and rose into a national figure in a year, proving that it was not an accident. Our leaders never miss an opportunity to prove that they are pygmies. Macron is all shining smile, while we have enough to make us weep.”
In fact, there was an example in Ukrainian history when an independent candidate wanted to destroy the clan-oligarchic system in the election of 1999. It is no coincidence that Marchuk’s book Five Years of the Ukrainian Tragedy, based on an extensive experience in government, was part of his presidential program. However, the public was not ready to support the candidate then, and the regime on its part did everything to get a communist into the second round, thus achieving a second term for Leonid Kuchma and saving the clan system. However, it seems to still be “uncomfortable knowledge” for a great many people.
Experts drew attention to the fact that for the first time in the post-1958 history of France, neither a socialist nor a center-right candidate has advanced to the second round of the presidential election. Macron is considered a political outsider in France, and this is his first presidential campaign. Moreover, should he win the election, the 39-year-old former banker and ex-economy minister of France under president Francois Hollande will become the youngest president in the nation’s history. The polls project that in the second round he will beat Le Pen by a margin of more than 20 percent.
Almost all Macron’s rivals, except Melenchon and, of course, Le Pen herself, have urged their supporters to vote for the leader of the En Marche! movement. Fillon also declared: “The Front National is well known for its violence and its intolerance… There is no other choice than to vote against the far right. I will vote for Emmanuel Macron.”
Meanwhile, Socialist leader Benoit Hamon declared: “Emmanuel Macron does not belong to the left and has no right to act as a left candidate, but he is not an enemy of the republic, like Le Pen.”
TACTICAL VOTING
The 15th arrondissement, the most populous in Paris, saw its polling stations already quite crowded at the opening that occurred at 8 a.m.; according to the Ministry of the Interior of France, the turnout in the first round remained steady throughout the day and ultimately came to 69.42 percent. About 22 percent of the eligible citizens did not make it to the stations. However, not all voters came to vote having made up their mind on candidate. “I have always supported the Socialist Party, this time, I cannot decide which candidate to support, so I may well have to refrain from voting,” said web designer Alexander. Such sentiments are due to the collapse of the two-party system, under which people traditionally voted for years for left and right. People accustomed to this white-and-black system are trapped in 2017, since the candidate of the Socialists Hamon is a politically unconvincing idealist, while the right’s Fillon is hampered by the corruption scandal. Thus, left-leaning voters had two options: either vote for Macron or radicalize and support Melenchon. As for the right, most of them stayed with Fillon, others moved to Melenchon as well, since they had no desire whatsoever to support the Front National in the second round. For example, like teacher of French Marie, they “did not vote for personalities and scandals, but for a program and a strong candidate instead.”
