Emmanuel Macron’s Win Offers Him a Chance to Be Great
AtlanticMAY 2022
As Macron himself conceded, France is a divided country and many people only voted for him to keep far-right Marine Le Pen out of power. He's the first to admit he has challenges in his next term, but is committed to being everybody's president and governing in the best interests of the country. The EU, meanwhile, is delighted and can breathe a sigh of relief.
While Macron may have won, France's record-breaking abstention rates demonstrate that its population are overwhelmingly rejecting the policies of the elite. Macron may have been able to suppress the vast "yellow vests" protest movement prior to the election, but much of the economic hardship and social discontent that underlay it still remains.