Stability prevails over extremism as Macron wins in France

A clear victory for Emmanuel Macron has saved France from a dangerous tilt toward xenophobic nationalism, although the president’s political capital is expected to be more limited in his second term.

Roger Cohen

Apr 25, 2022 – 12.02pm

Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

Emmanuel Macron has won a second term as president of France, triumphing over Marine Le Pen, his far-right challenger, after a campaign in which his promise of stability prevailed over the temptation of an extremist lurch.

Projections at the close of voting, which are generally reliable, showed Macron, a centrist, gaining 58.5 per cent of the vote to Le Pen’s 41.5 per cent. His victory was much narrower than in 2017, when the margin was 66.1 per cent to 33.9 per cent for Le Pen, but wider than appeared likely two weeks ago.