Macron projected to beat far-right rival Marine Le Pen

GBNews24 Desk//

Polling agencies projected that French President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won reelection Sunday in the presidential runoff, offering French voters and the European Union the reassurance of leadership stability in the bloc’s only nuclear-armed power as the continent grapples with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reports Associated Press.

A second five-year term for Macron, if confirmed by official results later Sunday, would spare France and its allies in Europe and beyond the seismic upheaval of a shift of power in wartime. Macron’s rival, far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen, quickly conceded Sunday night.

Her campaign had pledged to dilute French ties with the 27-nation EU, the NATO military alliance and Germany would, had she won, have shaken Europe’s security architecture as the continent deals with its worst conflict since World War II. Le Pen also spoke out against sanctions on Russian energy supplies and faced scrutiny during the election campaign over her previous friendliness with the Kremlin.

Polling agencies’ projections released as the last voting stations closed said Macron was on course to beat Le Pen by a double-digit margin. Five years ago, Macron won a sweeping victory to become France’s youngest president at 39. The margin is expected to be way smaller this time: Polling agencies Opinionway, Harris and Ifop projected that the 44-year-old pro-European centrist projected to win at least 57% of the vote.

Le Pen was projected to win between 41.5% and 43% support — a still unprecedented result for the 53-year-old on her third attempt to win the French presidency.

Early official results are expected later Sunday night.