Macron’s win showed France is internationalist, outward looking, pro-EU and free market-oriented; Le Pen’s rise revealed that it’s also nationalist, protectionist, anti-EU and suspicious of outsiders.
Being president of France won’t be easy for Emmanuel Macron. Without the support of an established political party, his legislative agenda may go nowhere fast.
The French must choose between two visions – one from Macron that looks externally to EU partners in trade and security, or one from Le Pen that closes France’s borders and yearns for a ‘Frexit’.
A new survey of French voters reveals a divide that predicts support for Le Pen. This same characteristic also explains Brexit and the election of Donald Trump.
Both Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron have gained from the very deep disaffection of the French electorate with its traditional political representatives.
A survey shows that candidates who exploited populism in one way or the other during the first round of the French presidential election captured about half of the vote.