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Highlights of the French Presidential Vote Highlights of the French Presidential Vote
(about 3 hours later)
■ The independent centrist Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen and will become the next president of France, according to preliminary results on Sunday, after a campaign that offered voters a stark choice and whose final days were marked by a vicious second-round debate and a hacking attack against Mr. Macron. ■ The independent centrist Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen and will become the next president of France, according to preliminary results on Sunday, ending a bitter campaign to determine the country’s future participation in a united Europe.
■ With about half of the ballots counted, Mr. Macron had about 62 percent of the vote, while Ms. Le Pen was at about 38 percent. ■ With almost all of the ballots counted, Mr. Macron had about 65 percent of the vote and a decisive lead over Ms. Le Pen, who was at about 35 percent.
■ Nearly a quarter of eligible voters did not cast a ballot, according to the Interior Ministry, and turnout was lower than in the past three presidential elections. Lower turnout had been expected to benefit Ms. Le Pen. ■ Nearly a quarter of eligible voters did not cast a ballot, according to the Interior Ministry, and turnout was lower than in the past three presidential elections. This suggests that voters’ anger remains strong in France, and the new government will have to contend with this disaffection.
■ Polls closed at 7 p.m. in smaller towns and rural areas, where Ms. Le Pen has stronger support. In larger cities such as Paris, Marseille and Bordeaux, the polls closed at 8 p.m., and voters there were expected to favor Mr. Macron. ■ The result suggests that the populist wave may have crested in Europe, for now. And while French voters wanted change, they may have been turned off by the angry tone of Ms. Le Pen’s far-right National Front.
■ Join our reporters here for live discussion and analysis of the election. ■ Our correspondents in France and elsewhere in Europe provided analysis of the election as results were counted.
■ Mr. Macron, 39, is a former investment banker and economy minister who has never held elected office. He is a pro-business candidate who wants to overhaul France’s labor market, favors free trade and backs a stronger European Union. His campaign was hit late Friday by a large dump of leaked documents. There was an official French media blackout on sharing the specific contents of the hacking. ■ Mr. Macron, 39, said Sunday that “a new page of our long history is opening.”
“It is a great honor and a great responsibility,” Mr. Macron said in a speech. “A new page of our long history is opening.” Looking somber and speaking alone at a lectern in front of French and European Union flags, he said he knew there were “divisions in our nation that led some to extreme votes.” Looking somber and speaking alone at a lectern in front of French and European Union flags, the former investment banker and economy minister who has never held elected office said he knew there were “divisions in our nation that led some to extreme votes.”
“I respect them,” he said. “I know the anger, the anxiety, the doubts that a large part of you have also expressed.”“I respect them,” he said. “I know the anger, the anxiety, the doubts that a large part of you have also expressed.”
■ Ms. Le Pen, 48, is the leader of the far-right National Front party, although she temporarily stepped down from that position to campaign against Mr. Macron. She opposes globalization, backs protectionist economic policies, wants to drastically limit immigration and wants to leave the euro currency zone and organize a referendum on leaving the European Union. Still, Mr. Macron, a pro-business candidate who wants to overhaul France’s labor market, favors free trade and backs a stronger European Union. He will try to balance his views with the worries of millions of French workers.
Even though she lost, Ms. Le Pen wasted no time in looking ahead. She said the results left the National Front positioned as a new “patriotic and republican alliance” that would be “the primary opposition force against the new president.” ■ Ms. Le Pen, 48, wasted no time in looking ahead after her defeat. She said the results left the National Front positioned as a new “patriotic and republican alliance” that would be “the primary opposition force against the new president.”
But she also said that her party needed to “profoundly renew itself,” and that she would work to make the National Front a “new political force.”But she also said that her party needed to “profoundly renew itself,” and that she would work to make the National Front a “new political force.”
Quite a bit — for France, for Europe and for the world. The country has a population of 67 million, is the world’s sixth-largest economy and is one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and a nuclear power. It is one of the oldest allies of the United States and is the world’s most-visited country. Since the French Revolution, the nation has often been viewed as a beacon of democratic ideals. During the final stage of the campaign, Ms. Le Pen had temporarily stepped down from her post as leader of her party to campaign against Mr. Macron. She will likely renew the National Front’s anti-globalization, anti-immigration drive and press her opposition to the European Union in other ways.
Crucially, France is a founding member of the European Union. Victory for Mr. Macron is another setback for far-right populists in Europe, bringing sighs of relief in Berlin and Brussels (Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, was quick to congratulate Mr. Macron on Sunday night, as were several other European leaders). France is a founding member of the European Union, and it would have been a devastating blow to the continental bloc had Ms. Le Pen won and pursued her goal of leading France out of the euro currency zone or even the union itself. Victory for Mr. Macron is another setback for far-right populists in Europe, bringing sighs of relief in Berlin and Brussels (Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, was quick to congratulate Mr. Macron on Sunday night, as were several other European leaders).
The results were a blow to President Trump, who, without directly endorsing Ms. Le Pen, suggested he favored her candidacy. Still, Mr. Trump tweeted his congratulations to Mr. Macron, saying that he looked “very much forward” to working with him. Former President Barack Obama had expressed support for Mr. Macron.The results were a blow to President Trump, who, without directly endorsing Ms. Le Pen, suggested he favored her candidacy. Still, Mr. Trump tweeted his congratulations to Mr. Macron, saying that he looked “very much forward” to working with him. Former President Barack Obama had expressed support for Mr. Macron.
Success for Ms. Le Pen, by contrast, would have allowed her to pursue her goal of leading France out of the euro currency zone or even the bloc itself, some fear that could bring about the downfall of the European Union. Low turnout and a high number of blank ballots (a form of protest vote) had been expected to benefit Ms. Le Pen, whose voter base appeared in polls as more committed than Mr. Macron’s. But that did not appear to be the case.
Low turnout and a high number of blank ballots (a form of protest vote) had been expected to benefit Ms. Le Pen, whose voter base was shown by polls to be more committed than Mr. Macron’s. But that did not appear to be the case. About a quarter of the electorate abstained, with many in France forced to choose between two candidates they did not like in the final round of voting. Approximately 10 percent of those who did turn out cast an empty or discounted ballot.
About a quarter of the electorate abstained, with many in France forced to choose between two candidates they did not support in the second round of voting. Approximately 10 percent of those who did turn out cast an empty or discounted ballot.
Mr. Macron had been expected to pick up support from the left and right in the runoff, if only from those who wanted to keep Ms. Le Pen from reaching the presidency — a French political tradition known as the “Republican Front,” in which mainstream parties ally against the far right.Mr. Macron had been expected to pick up support from the left and right in the runoff, if only from those who wanted to keep Ms. Le Pen from reaching the presidency — a French political tradition known as the “Republican Front,” in which mainstream parties ally against the far right.
There had been cracks in that front. On the right, conservatives who backed former Prime Minister François Fillon in the first round viewed Mr. Macron as too socially liberal and as an heir to François Hollande, France’s Socialist president, whose popularity has plummeted since his election. There had been cracks in that front, but voters’ distaste for Ms. Le Pen motivated enough of them to turn out to deny her a path to victory.
More significantly, voters who supported the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round struggled with the idea of supporting Mr. Macron and his pro-business policies. On Sunday night, Mr. Mélenchon congratulated Mr. Macron but said in a speech that he would lose no time in opposing the “new presidential monarch.” In the coming legislative elections, he said, “our resistance can win the battle.”
The troves of data related to Mr. Macron’s movement, En Marche!, were leaked on the internet Friday night, hours before a legal prohibition on campaign communications went into effect, but they did not appear to have had a large impact on the vote.
Links to the zip and torrent files were posted under the profile of someone called EMLEAKS on Pastebin, an anonymous publishing website. The archive was shared on the popular forum 4chan and promoted on Twitter by far-right activists, before WikiLeaks gave it extensive exposure online.
The leak appeared to mostly involve documents that show the mundane inner workings of a presidential campaign, including professional and private emails, memos, contracts and accounting documents. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the hacking of Mr. Macron’s campaign.
Mr. Macron’s campaign said in a statement shortly before the blackout went into effect that the professional and personal email accounts of some of its staff members had been hacked “some weeks ago.”
It said that all of the stolen documents were “legal” and “authentic” but that fake ones had been added to “sow doubt and disinformation.” It denounced the hack as an attempt to destabilize democracy.
It was not clear what was genuine and what wasn’t. It will presumably take experts weeks to sift through and assess all the leaked documents. Experts suspect a Russian-linked espionage operation known as A.P.T. 28, or Fancy Bear, may be involved, although there is no firm evidence that the operation was behind the thefts. European and American analysts have determined that the group was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee last year.
En Marche! has been the target of hackers since last year. Last month, Trend Micro, a cybersecurity firm, said that a hacking group believed to be a Russian intelligence unit had attacked Mr. Macron’s campaign, sending emails to campaign officials and others with links to fake websites designed to bait them into turning over passwords.
Mr. Macron led consistently and widely in the polls, and he was on track to capture more than 60 percent of the vote. Although he won by a significant margin, the high number of abstentions makes it difficult to assess the extent of his mandate.
The victory for Mr. Macron is a sign, however, that the “Republican Front” still holds and that many in the French electorate still firmly reject the far right.
Still, despite losing, the number of votes for Ms. Le Pen represent unprecedented support for the National Front, which has made steady gains in local and national elections.
The economy is the electorate’s main concern, and Mr. Macron will have to tackle high unemployment and sluggish growth while also addressing the worries of blue-collar workers about globalization and immigration.The economy is the electorate’s main concern, and Mr. Macron will have to tackle high unemployment and sluggish growth while also addressing the worries of blue-collar workers about globalization and immigration.
Security is also a major concern, as reflected in a vicious debate on Wednesday in which the two candidates sparred over their antiterrorism policies and an attack in Paris that occurred just days before the first round of voting.Security is also a major concern, as reflected in a vicious debate on Wednesday in which the two candidates sparred over their antiterrorism policies and an attack in Paris that occurred just days before the first round of voting.
But the most pressing issue will be the legislative elections. Because Mr. Macron belongs to a new party, he will struggle to get enough representatives elected to the National Assembly, France’s lower and more powerful house of Parliament, to support their agenda. But the most pressing issue will be the legislative elections. Because Mr. Macron belongs to a new party, he will struggle to get enough representatives elected to the National Assembly, France’s lower and more powerful house of Parliament, to support his agenda.
Although the president nominates the prime minister, Mr. Macron must find someone who reflects the political majority in that assembly, to avoid a government-toppling motion of censure.Although the president nominates the prime minister, Mr. Macron must find someone who reflects the political majority in that assembly, to avoid a government-toppling motion of censure.
Without a majority, Mr. Macron could be forced into an uncomfortable collaboration with a legislature and a prime minister of an opposing political persuasion, significantly hobbling his or her ability to pursue goals. Without a majority, Mr. Macron could be forced into an uncomfortable collaboration with a legislature and a prime minister of an opposing political persuasion, significantly hobbling his ability to pursue goals.
The Macron campaign was hit late Friday by a large dump of leaked campaign documents. There was an official French media blackout on sharing the specific contents of the hacking before the vote, and the troves of data did not appear to have had a large impact on the election’s result.
Links to zip and torrent files were posted under the profile of someone called EMLEAKS on Pastebin, an anonymous publishing website. The archive was shared on the popular forum 4chan and promoted on Twitter by far-right activists, before WikiLeaks gave it extensive exposure online.
The leak appeared to mostly involve documents that showed the mundane inner workings of a presidential campaign, including professional and private emails, memos, contracts and accounting documents. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the hacking.
Mr. Macron’s campaign had said that all of the stolen documents were “legal” and “authentic” but that fake ones had been added to “sow doubt and disinformation.” It denounced the hack as an attempt to destabilize democracy.
It was not clear what was genuine and what wasn’t. It will presumably take experts weeks to sift through and assess all the leaked documents. Experts suspect a Russian-linked espionage operation known as A.P.T. 28, or Fancy Bear, may be involved, although there is no firm evidence that the operation was behind the thefts. European and American analysts have determined that the group was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee in the United States.
Mr. Macron’s party has been targeted by hackers since last year. Last month, Trend Micro, a cybersecurity firm, said that a hacking group believed to be a Russian intelligence unit had attacked Mr. Macron’s campaign, sending emails to campaign officials and others with links to fake websites designed to bait them into turning over passwords.