After the first round of the French presidential election, in which neither candidate from France’s two major parties got enough votes to make it to the second round, people in France are wondering what to expect as centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen go head to head in the run-off election.
Voting for the final round will happen in just a few days on May 7th. Many people are worried about the consequences of a Le Pen presidency, not only because of her anti-immigration and anti-Islamic rhetoric, but also because of her vow to call a referendum on Frexit—the possibility of France leaving the European Union.
Many of France’s major politicians have formed an anti-Le Pen coalition and are urging voters to rally behind Macron.
“There’s a clear distinction to be made between a political adversary and an enemy of the republic,” the Socialist Party candidate Benoit Hamon said last week, according to the New York Times.
From an American standpoint, it’s difficult not to compare the two presidential elections. Could Le Pen pull a Trump, and beat Macron despite the fact that he has support from most French politicians? We’ll know on May 7th.
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