French voters awards Emmanuel Macron a second term

French voters on Sunday awarded Emmanuel Macron a second term in the country’s presidential election after his far-right rival Marine Le Pen failed to spark a populist uproar.
According to preliminary official results, Macron won about 58.5 percent of the vote, compared with 41.5 percent for Le Pen.
That makes him the first French head of state to be re-elected in two decades since Jacques Chirac in 2002.
Shortly after his victory, Macron told a rally in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris that he would become “the president of all of us” and that his second term would “not continue my previous one.”
Sunday’s runoff was a repeat of the clash between the two candidates in 2017 when Macron won 66 percent of the vote.

But that poll featured whether supporters of far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who finished third in the first round two weeks ago, would switch to the two of the finalists, abstain or destroy their vote.
Macron, a pro-European liberal, has pitched himself as a stabilizing force in times of crisis, citing his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This resonated with voters, even though he was seen by many as aloof and elitist.
Ahead of the vote, Macron played down plans to overhaul the country’s generous pension system to appeal to left-wing voters.
Despite the ups and downs of Macron’s first term, he has won a second time, including the so-called yellow vest movement in 2018, which sparked nationwide opposition to his pro-business policies and pro-business policies. Mass protests over tax cuts for the wealthy.
Macron had a nearly 5-point lead over Le Pen on the first lap two weeks ago, and pre-vote polls showed the race was getting closer, hinting at his success.
His campaign in the second round was also supported by several French newspapers, some of which warned that a Le Pen victory would make France an unreliable partner abroad and undermine national unity.
Speaking at a victory rally in Paris, Macron acknowledged that the campaign against Le Pen has sometimes been fierce and delivered a message of unity to her supporters: “We have to respect now because we have so many differences and doubts. ”

Emmanuel Macron defeated his far-right challenger, Marine Le Pen, becoming the first French president to be re-elected since 2002. https://t.co/AbO3A2cXl6 pic.twitter.com/7IsO3Y7fVN

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 24, 2022

The president also pledged to his supporters that he would remain “committed to building a more just and equal society,” he said. “To do that, we need to be more demanding and ambitious.”