President Emmanuel Macron has been congratulated for securing re-election on Sunday after a closely contested election against far-right veteran Marine Le Pen.
KAMPALA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — French President Emmanuel Macron has been congratulated for winning re-election on Sunday after a fiercely contested race with far-right opponent Marine Le Pen.
- After a fiercely fought election with far-right opponent Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron secured reelection on Sunday.
- Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union (AU), called Emmanuel Macron’s re-election a “brilliant” triumph.
- Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, the president of Chad, hailed Macron’s reelection as “a monumental triumph of his domestic political action and international commitment.”
- First, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated him, mentioning their common challenge in responding to Russia’s war in Ukraine. US President Joe Biden expressed his interest in “close cooperation,” including aiding Ukraine.
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The African Union (AU) through its Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, described French President Emmanuel Macron’s re-election as a “brilliant” one.
J'adresse mes chaleureuses félicitations au président @EmmanuelMacron pour sa brillante réélection. Je suis heureux de poursuivre avec lui notre engagement pour bâtir entre l'Afrique et la France, et plus largement l'Europe, des relations renovées et mutuellement avantageuses.
— Moussa Faki Mahamat (@AUC_MoussaFaki) April 25, 2022
Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the commission, has called for the continuation of “renewed and mutually beneficial relations” between France and Africa.
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, in a statement, called Macron’s re-election a feat that “capsulates the culmination of his domestic political work and his international commitment”.
With more than 58.5% of the vote, Emmanuel Macron won re-election over Marine Le Pen who received 41.4% of the votes, breaking the historic 40% barrier for the very first time.
In his first term, Emmanuel Macron said he would clean up the relationship between France and the continent, particularly for his youth, especially during the speech he gave in Ouagadougou in November 2017 in which he announced a significant change in French policy in Africa.
An African, French and diaspora civil society meeting was held in Montpellier (south) in October 2021 for a discussion on economic, cultural, and political issues among entrepreneurs, artists and sportsmen. No heads of state were invited.
At the time, the French presidency stated its goal of getting rid of old formulas and outdated networks. In other words, to break, time and time again, with “Françafrique”, its opaque practices and its networks of influence.
In February, the French and their European allies withdrew their military forces from Mali, where two coups have taken place since August 2020 against a backdrop of anti-French sentiment.
In the same month, which was the eve of a European Union-African Union summit in Brussels, the head of state called for a “new alliance” between Europe and Africa, as criticism and criticism of France’s actions in the Sahel grew in Africa.
There will be celebrations now that Emmanuel Macron has survived a scare and a fierce opposition, but in the next five years, he will have to unite his country politically and strengthen its ties to Africa.
Reaction from the US and Europe to Macron’s re-election
It was a relief to European leaders to discover that Emmanuel Macron had won, as they were worried that a far-right candidate would have offered a series of policies designed to undermine the EU.
The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was the first to congratulate him, mentioning their mutual challenges in responding to Russia’s war on Ukraine. US President Joe Biden also expressed a desire for “close co-operation” in supporting Ukraine.
Following his victory, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted his congratulations.
Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron on your re-election as President of France. France is one of our closest and most important allies. I look forward to continuing to work together on the issues which matter most to our two countries and to the world.
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— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 24, 2022
