Paris mulls country’s future after Macron win
As they stepped outside on the morning after overwhelmingly voting for Emmanuel Macron, Parisians considered what challenges lie ahead for the new president and the country after a highly unconventional election.
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Those who pick up their morning paper at a newsstand in north-eastern Paris generally expressed satisfaction at Emmanuel Macron’s victory.
“I find it absolutely magnificent that in the space of a year and a month, our new president was able to build a movement and choose to do away with the stupid and ridiculous division between Left and Right, once and for all,” says Alain Collin de l’Hortet. “Today I feel very European and very happy.”
Behind the newsstand, vendor Patel Iqrambhai counters that Macron’s performance as president depends on how the country votes in next month’s parliamentary election.
“If they [French MPs] give him the power, he can manage,” Iqrambhai says. “But if they don’t, then he’s trouble and we’re all in trouble for five years. He’s not even in power yet, so it’s too early to say how it will go. ”
Macron took 89.68 percent of votes in the capital, well above the 66.1 percent overall vote, while Le Pen took only 10.32 percent, down from her overall 33.9 percent. While no passers-by at this particular newsstand express regret over Le Pen’s loss, there is divergence on what her score represents.
“It’s a large score, and it can’t be dismissed,” Alain Collin de L’Hortet. “When more than ten million citizens of this country vote for a far-right movement, and let’s not forget it’s a fascist movement, we have to remain vigilant.”
Others though prefer to relativize the far-right candidate’s result, even if Le Pen’s score is double what it was for her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, when he lost to Jacques Chirac in the presidential election of 2002.
“I’m very satisfied with the result, because Madame Le Pen is not what France needs,” says Gregoire Bertier. “We can’t really say the Front National has taken root, because if you look at their score, it’s nothing spectacular.”
Shopkeepers farther west in the neighbourhood of Barbes, many of whom are immigrants to France, also tend to welcome Macron’s win.
“Emmanuel Macron brings people together, he’s for Europe, he’s not like the extremists,” says Hamdane, who runs a meat shop with his brothers, who he says all voted for Macron. “We’re optimistic, because he’s young but he has experience. He was already a government minister in the government, but it’s going to be different than before, in a good way.”
And while 21.51 percent of Parisians abstained from voting, close to the national rate of 25.44 percent, some who did so still see Macron’s win in a positive light.
“I stay away from politics, and I admit that I didn’t even vote,” says Lucienne Bismuth, standing outside her clothing shop with a colleague.
“For once we have a president who represents the people, who’s young and attractive. I just hope everything goes well and we won’t be slammed with taxes, like with every other president, they tax us and tax us and tax us some more,” she says.
“But we’re optimistic, because we have to be, and it’s a clear majority, so I hope it will be good for France.”
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