Trudeau speaks with France vote winner
PRO-EU EMMANUEL MACRON BECOMES FRANCE’S YOUNGEST PRESIDENT
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spoken with Emmanuel Macron to congratulate him on his election as the next president of France.
The Prime Minister’s Office says the two leaders reaffirmed the “rich and diverse bilateral relationship that exists between Canada and France.”
French voters elected the centrist as the country’s youngest president ever on Sunday, delivering a resounding victory to the unabashedly pro-European former investment banker.
Marine Le Pen, his far-right opponent in the presidential run-off, quickly conceded defeat to the 39-year-old Macron after voters rejected her “French-first” nationalism by a large margin.
The result wasn’t close — Macron had 64 per cent support with about 90 per cent of votes counted. Many of the more than 57,000 French nationals in Canada cast ballots Saturday in the run-off election.
Trudeau said earlier in a statement that he looks forward to working closely with Macron in the years ahead on issues that include implementing the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
Ripping up France’s political map, French voters elected independent centrist Emmanuel Macron as the country’s youngest president Sunday, delivering a resounding victory to the unabashedly pro-European former investment banker and strengthening France’s place as a central pillar of the European Union.
Macron, who had never run for office before, celebrated with thousands of jubilant, flag-waving supporters outside the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday night. The European anthem “Ode to Joy” played as he strode out to address the swelling crowd.
“France has won!” he said. “Everyone said it was impossible. But they do not know France!”
Marine Le Pen, his far-right opponent in the runoff, quickly called the 39-year-old Macron to concede after voters rejected her “French-first” nationalism by a large margin. Le Pen’s performance dashed her hopes that the populist wave which swept Donald Trump into the White House and led Britain to vote to leave the EU would also carry her to France’s presidential Elysee Palace.
Macron told the Louvre crowd that the Le Pen vote was one of “anger, disarray.”
“I will do everything in the five years to come so there is no more reason to vote for the extremes,” he said.
Earlier, in a solemn televised victory speech, Macron vowed to heal the social divisions exposed by France’s acrimonious election campaign.
“I know the divisions in our nation that led some to extreme votes. I respect them,” he declared, unsmiling. “I know the anger, the anxiety, the doubts that a large number of you also expressed. It is my responsibility to hear them.”
The result wasn’t close: With four-fifths of votes counted, Macron had 64 per cent support. Le Pen had 36 per cent — far better than Jean-Marie Le Pen, her father and co-founder of their National Front party, achieved at the same stage in the 2002 presidential election.
Macron’s victory marked the third time in six months — following elections in Austria and the Netherlands — that European voters shot down far-right populists who wanted to restore borders across Europe. The election of a French president who champions European unity could also strengthen the EU’s hand in its complex divorce proceedings with Britain.
Parisians lined the streets outside Macron’s campaign headquarters to see his motorcade whisk him away to the Louvre party. His wife, Brigitte, joined him on stage after his address.
Macron said he understood that some voters backed him reluctantly, simply to keep out Le Pen and her National Front party, which has a long history of antiSemitism and racism.
“I know that this is not a blank check,” he said. “I know about our disagreements. I will respect them.”