In 2017, France bucked the populist trend by voting for Emmanuel Macron against europhobic Marine Le Pen. In 2022, it has done so again – just as Slovenia looks set to eject its nationalist leader.
An overwhelming display of pro-EU values? Not quite. Macron’s lead is narrower than last time – around 58%, rather than 66% — and turnout was at its lowest in decades. Voter fatigue runs high.
Yet visions of an anti-elite “domino” effect after Brexit and Trump are increasingly fading in a post-Ukraine, post-COVID world. The French have voted for a France at the heart, not the fringes, of Europe – albeit one that has to better protect its people.
