The French Election

French voters overwhelmingly chose 39 year old Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, over right-wing rival Marine Le Pen.

The centrist independent reformer Emmanuel Macron has claimed victory in the French Presidential election. The political newcomer defeated his opponent far-right populist Marine Le Pen by a landslide with more than sixty percent of the vote. Macron ran on a pro-European Union, pro-NATO platform that resonated with French voters in an election that many saw as a test for the European Union following the United Kingdom’s “Brexit” vote. The election was seen as a test of the global populism that led to the Brexit vote in Britain, and President Donald Trump’s election in the U.S. Many in the United States are now wondering how President Trump will work with the new French leader, as the two have conflicting positions on a number of issues.