Emmanuel Macron’s Pyrrhic victory last Sunday will not solve the contradictions and tensions at the heart of the French political system.
In a rematch of the 2017 presidential election, Macron defeated Marine Le Pen to become the first incumbent to be elected for a second consecutive term in the past 20 years. At face value, it appeared a comfortable victory.
Yet, the gap between the two candidates flatters to deceive. Between 2017 and 2022, Macron lost almost two million votes. Meanwhile, Le Pen, the candidate of the far-Right Rassemblement National party, gained 2.6 million to receive a total of almost 12 million votes this time around. Her party’s rise is undeniable; 20 years ago, under her father’s leadership, it won just 5.5 million votes – 18% of the total vote share.
