Macron wins French presidency but hurdles remain in campaign to govern

World Today

Macron wins French presidency but hurdles remain in campaign to governCurrent French President Francois Hollande and French president-elect Emmanuel Macron, left, participate in a ceremony to mark Victory Day in Paris, France, Monday, May 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool)

Emmanuel Macron steps into his new role as France’s President-elect. But it will be a short honeymoon period.

Macron will soon take office and begin working to turn campaign promises into government policy.

CGTN’s Richard Bestic explains what’s next for Macron.

The 39-year-old former banker is the first president of modern France elected as an independent. While Macron’s electoral triumph was unprecedented, the challenges awaiting the President-elect are immense.

Macron said his task was to rebuild European unity, fix the French economy and ensure security against extremist threats. But first, he must choose a Prime Minister and win support from the deputies of the French Parliament, without which his Presidency could be largely unworkable.

Rivals who backed Macron to counter National Front candidate Marine Le Pen in the presidential runoff are now setting their sights on defeating him in the June parliamentary elections. All 577 seats in France’s National Assembly will be up for grabs.

Getting his party members elected will require Macron’s party to transform into an organization that stretches across the country – something his rivals will point out takes more than just a year to put in place. To compete, “en Marche” has rebranded itself is now rebranding itself “La Republique en Marche” (Republic on the Move), as it prepares a list of candidates.

Defeated rival Le Pen remains defiant. Le Pen was able to bring her party in from the margins of right-wing politics to the mainstream.  Now she’s looking to take the 11 million votes she won and rebuild the brand.


Michael Kimmage discusses the results of the French election

To discuss the victory of Emmanuel Macron and the future of France following the contentious election, CGTN’s Elaine Reyes spoke to Michael Kimmage, Transatlantic Academy Fellow for the German Marshall Fund.


Alexandre Andorra on the French election

For another look at the meaning of the French election and France’s future, CGTN’s Asieh Namdar spoke with Alexandre Andorra, a political analyst and forcaster.