Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the first round of the French presidential election is the good news the EU was waiting for. After Brexit and Trump, Brussels is delighted – so much so in fact that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker ditched the convention of staying out of ongoing elections by calling Macron a ‘pretty obvious choice’. But perhaps Juncker and his allies in Brussels would do well to take the hint from the millions of voters who backed anti-EU parties at the ballot box.
Even from Dover, ‘you could almost hear the popping of champagne corks’ after Emmanuel Macron triumphed, says the Daily Mail. ‘In Brussels…the elation was unbounded,’ the paper says. For the Daily Mail, this reaction shows exactly what is wrong with the EU. After all, those celebrating seem to be ignoring the half of French voters who backed candidates standing against the EU, the paper points out; while the lack of success enjoyed by the two main parties in France is an ‘emphatic rejection of France’s political establishment’. There are, admittedly, some ‘ugly elements’ to the National Front party, under whose banner Le Pen ran. Yet instead of dismissing those who backed Le Pen, ‘Macron and his allies in Brussels’ would be ‘well advised to focus on fixing the sclerotic French economy’, the Mail concludes – rather than sounding off about Brexit.
Macron’s victory is being greeted as ‘an endorsement of the EU project’. It isn’t, argues the Daily Telegraph, which describes Brussels’ endorsement of Macron as ‘astonishing’. Jean-Claude Juncker’s decision to go public with his support for Macron shows the willingness of the EU to bury its head in the sand, argues the paper. ‘The answer is always ‘more Europe’,’ suggests the Telegraph. But it’s time for Brussels to listen up; after all, ‘the French election showed a country divided just as the EU referendum here split the UK down the middle’. The EU would do well to heed the warning.
If France wants change, it is going to be disappointed, says the Sun, which calls French presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron a ‘rich, centre-left Europhile of the liberal elite’. Macron will inevitably follow in the footsteps of ‘the useless socialist Francois Hollande’. His ‘appeal is based on bland promises’ – and not being Marine Le Pen, argues the paper. And the Sun says that although ‘we’re no fans’ of Le Pen, her widespread support ‘illustrates the anger in France over failures in terror prevention and public services’. ‘If elected, Macron won’t solve any of it,’ the Sun gloomily concludes.
The ‘hosannas and hallelujahs from Brussels to Berlin’ in response to Macron’s success have been loud and clear, says the Times, which points out that many have greeted his win as a ‘reversal in a pattern of insurgency that began with the Brexit vote’. ‘Not so fast’, argues the Times. It’s clear that Le Pen ’represents a formidable force that is not about to disappear’, the paper says. And while there has been wild elation over Macron’s victory, it’s still not really clear what he stands for, with ‘much of his programme still…under wraps.’. What’s more, the Times argues, if Macron fails to offer any substance to his promises, ‘the anger is not going away’. ‘An ineffective President Macron would fuel the disgruntlement of National Front supporters,’ the Times argues. Despite Macron’s success in the first round, the death of populism has been greatly exaggerated and ’it is far from certain that liberals will ultimately win the argument in France or in the rest of Europe’.
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