Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his re-election on Sunday, as polls predicted the French president would win a second term.
According to estimates, French President Emmanuel Macron trounced his competitor Marine Le Pen in presidential elections on Sunday, causing a surge of relief across Europe that the far-right will not take power.
Boris Johnson Congratulates Emmanuel Macron on Re-Election
In accordance with forecasts by polling firms for French television stations based on a sample of the vote count, centrist Macron was projected to win 57.0-58.5 percent of the vote, compared to Le Pen's 41.5-43.0 percent. The margin of victory is less than in the 2017 run-off when the same two candidates faced off, and Macron won with nearly 66 percent of the vote.
The result, which is anticipated to be confirmed by official results overnight, came as a huge relief to Europe, which had feared that a Le Pen president would leave the continent adrift in the wake of Brexit and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's retirement.
Macron's victory was hailed as great news for all of Europe by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who added that the EU can now count on France for five more years, while EU Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen quickly congratulated him, saying she was "delighted to be able to continue our excellent cooperation," as per Punch.
If current estimates hold, Macron will become only the third president to win two elections since the country's creation in 1958 and the first in 20 years since incumbent Jacques Chirac defeated Le Pen's father in 2002. As television stations presented the earliest predictions of Macron's victory, hundreds of Macron supporters gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower, chanting the national song and waving French and European flags.
Le Pen's ascent in the weeks leading up to the first of the elections, when she inherited her father's 50-year-old far-right political organization, alarmed European Union officials, who endorsed the incumbent with resounding endorsements, according to the Independent.
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Macron Defeats Le Pen, Vows to Unite France
Despite the loss, the far-right received over 40% of the vote in France for the first time. In 2017, Macron defeated Le Pen with 66% to 34% of the vote. Her father's support for Chirac was less than 20%. French politicians have criticized Britain over the migrant problem in recent months, claiming that loose labor rules are enticing migrants, with President Macron allegedly describing Prime Minister May as a 'clown' after meetings on the matter.
While campaigning against Miss Le Pen's Eurosceptic party, Macron has regularly criticized Brexit. Yesterday, Tory Party chairman Oliver Dowden dismissed the allegations as electioneering and said that the relationship might be repaired after the election.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, is expected to seek discussions on the migrant situation as soon as President Macron names a new interior minister. She is anticipated to resurrect an offer to send Border Force or British security personnel for combined beach patrols in France. Miss Patel will also persuade Mr. Macron to reconsider his objection to the concept of returning illegal migrants.
France and the United Kingdom have the most intimate business and social ties. Macron and his aides have disregarded this, picking battles even as he irritates his ostensible European partners.
In France, the pain will continue when the tired electorate is asked to vote in the National Assembly elections in June. At that point, Macron will have to form a government with a legislative majority that is unlikely to be stable or long-lasting, Daily Mail reported.
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