After two weeks of nail-biting, European leaders were able to heave a sigh of relief last night upon the news that Emmanuel Macron had become the first President since Chirac to win a second term.
With Marine Le Pen's far-right Front National party now firmly established as the dominant political challenger, the continent was wondering "What if?" – a question that would have hardly been taken seriously when Le Pen's father led the party and made no effort to conceal his racism and anti-semitism.
And despite his daughter's superior political tact, Marine Le Pen has nonetheless pushed the bounds of public sentiment on the sensitive issues of women's reproductive rights, France's position in the EU and NATO, and migration. Though not quite enough to clinch the presidency, there is an undeniable appetite for her policy proposals that would question values that hitherto vont de soi (go without saying).
Even without assuming power, Le Pen's incitement of far-right populism already saw Macron toughen his stance on religious plurality in nation founded on ideals liberty and equality. Though this might have persuaded some to vote for him rather than Le Pen, it made him even more unsavoury for the left-leaning side of the electorate, many of whom felt so disenchanted by what they saw as the choice between bad and worse that they abstained from voting.
In Belgium, Macron was the clear favourite, unsurprising given Le Pen's anti-EU stance. Yet whilst EU leaders queued up to shake Macron's hand, there is a sense of déjà vu that would be ignored at the bloc's peril.
Did you hold your nose in the ballot box? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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