Podcasts News The Big Story What Does Macron's Close Win Say About France's Changing Political Landscape?

What Does Macron's Close Win Say About France's Changing Political Landscape?

Published: April 25, 2022, 4:52 p.m.

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Assured of another five years in office, French President Emmanuel Macron made history on Monday, 25 April, by beating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
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This was the second straight fight between the two politicians and Le Pen\\u2019s third shot at presidency.
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But there is something deeply unsettling about these results \\u2014 how close Le Pen, a long-time standard-bearer for the French far-right, got in terms of vote share with Macron.\\xa0
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\\nLe Pen scored better than she ever has, winning about 41 percent of the votes. The last time she stood for elections, in 2017, she earned around 34 percent.
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\\nWhat is also striking about the result is the abstention rate of this elections, which at 28 percent is a slight increase from its level in 2017 but also the highest for a final round of vote since 1969.\\xa0
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\\nThe nature of these results raises the question: if these voting trends continue, is France walking on a dangerous path towards electing a far-right president in the next election?
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To break down the election results and their significance, we speak to senior journalist and columnist Nabanita Sircar.
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\\nHost and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
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\\nEditor: Saundarya Talwar
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\\nMusic: Big Bang Fuzz
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Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
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Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S\\n
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