Political analysis
Despite the difficult moment in time, at the presidential election voters “chose a leader that represents “courage, determination and openness. They chose a France that wins, that dialogues with the world, that is not afraid.” The victory of the young centrist candidate “is also a victory against the return of nationalism, namely the hatred of diversity, of every form of otherness.”
May 7 2017 – election day of Emmanuel Macron as new President of the French Republic – marks an important moment for France, for Europe, for democracy. First of all it signals the victory of France over herself. Today France is plagued by pessimism, undergoing constant self-criticism, ready to make an own goal. The French press conveys depressing pieces of news. Accordingly, everything seems not to bode well, public services are flawed, the health system is on its knees, public education has failed its purpose… Emphasis is given only to negative news items. Indeed, the difficulties are many: high unemployment rates; factories shutting down; poverty is under everyone’s eyes to see. But when extending the gaze to neighbouring Countries it becomes clear that such systematic criticism doesn’t correspond to the real picture.
During the election campaign extremist candidates reiterated these issues incessantly, describing the debacle of France, a Country that lost its historical role, that is afraid of everything and everyone.
Instead, on May 7, a large majority of French people voted for a man under-40, the youngest President in the history of the French Republic. They chose a leader that represents courage, determination and openness. They chose a France that wins, that dialogues with the world, that is not afraid.
Furthermore, May 7 marked a victory for Europe.
Of all candidates in the first round of elections, Macron was the sole, truly pro-European candidate.
The only one that expressed the sincere will to give renewed thrust to Community Europe embroiled in ill-conceived institutions and curbed by populism and by new forms of nationalism that deny the EU’s founding principles. Macron’s harsh criticism of Poland’s and Hungary’s governments signals his concern to ensure that the European Union continues following the intuitions of the founding fathers, namely the spirit of openness to the rest of the world and the solidarity among different regions and peoples. From this perspective the election of May 7 is also a victory against the resurgence of nationalism, that is, the hatred of diversity, of every form of otherness. It’s a good news for coexistence, in today’s multifaceted, multicultural and multi-religious societies. Immediately after the announcement of his victory, the President-elect reached the famous esplanade of the Louvre museum in Paris, against the backdrop of the Pyramid designed by Ieoh Ming Pei, symbol of modernity. There, with great solemnity, the European anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” played, followed by the French national anthem, La Marseillaise.
The symbolical bearing is very powerful, and it heralds the intention to strengthen European unity, to develop new, binding common policies aimed at rekindling the European Union at global level.
Finally, May 7 ushered in the victory of democracy over extremist, totalitarian ideologies. In the first round, French voters – almost 50% – had chosen candidates that most expressed hostility against Europe, along with extremist candidates. The first of them, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is an admirer of Chavez and of Venezuela’s “new-democracy”, as well as of the bygone Cuban “democracy.” The second, Marine Le Pen, clearly revealed her neo-fascist face, marked by coarse and violent attitudes and speech. All the election campaign was one of extremely violent debates reduced to slander against Macron, whose election shows that, ultimately, the opponent’s respect for democracy comes in first.
Most of all, Macron’s victory is the victory of democracy, as it intends to break away from the open clash between the Left and Right blocs.
It is aimed at developing a new government model based on the necessary cooperation between all the representatives of democracy. It intends to tear down the walls that have divided men and women of good will for far too long. We still lack the sufficient historical distance to provide an overall assessment of Emmanuel Macron’s election at the Presidency of the French Republic. But undoubtedly that event has saved the Country, as well as the whole of Europe, from an adventure. After Brexit and following Trump’s election in the United States, a number of political analysts had envisioned that the worst for Europe was yet to come. But the worst is never certain when determination, courage and audacity enable resilience and usher in new avenues. After Austria and The Netherlands, France said NO to extremism, to hatred, to the closure of national borders. May 7 will be recorded as an important day in our contemporary history.
