Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, emerged as the victor in France’s presidential election. He easily defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.
“I would say primarily it’s a vote against Le Pen, rather than a vote for Macron,” said Robin Simcox, an European expert at the Heritage Foundation. “There was lots around Le Pen that was very troubling, this pro-Russia stance, pro-Iran stance, anti-NATO stance, I think there’s a lot of things in there with Le Pen.”
“I think that certainly Macron has a more pro-European Union stance, for example, than Le Pen. I think many in Europe will be reassured by that,” he added.
France is currently facing a slew of challenges, all of which Macron must tackle.
“In France, there is extraordinary youth unemployment. So there’s clearly economic challenges ahead for them. But you also have to look at the security situation. France has been living under a state of emergency now for 18 months. Regular Islamist terrorist attacks take place in the country,” said Simcox.
He also acknowledges that many of these challenges will be outside of Macron’s control.
“I think some of these things are generational. For example, the threat from terrorism, the rise of Islamism as an ideology, I think these transcends any one administration, any one country. I think this is a generational challenge,” said Simcox.
What does Macron’s election mean for U.S.-France relations?
“Even though there will certainly be differences between Trump and Macron, some on policy, some on style, I still think it’s important that the two leaders make an effort to work together constructively and I expect that to happen,” said Simcox.
President Trump will visit Europe next month, where he will meet France’s new leader for the first time. Macron is expected to be sworn in before May 14, which is President François Hollande’s last day in office.
