Macron's Win: The Center Holds Firm in France
Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron beat out far-right Marine Le Pen with 65 percent of the vote.
French voters handed Emmanuel Macron, the independent candidate, a decisive victory in the presidential runoff Sunday over Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate, buoying Europe’s political establishment that had watched with despair as populist movements threatened to derail the European experiment.
Macron, 39who had all but been endorsed by Europe’s leaders after his first-round victory on April 23,earned 65.5percent of the vote, according to ; Le Pen won34.5percent—slightly lower than polls had predicted. The polls projected Macron would win approximately 64 percent of the vote. Voter turnout was 74percent by the time polls closed at 8than the 80 percent that turned out in 2012. Approximately 4 million blank votes were cast.
