Even in today’s fierce and conflicted world sometimes comes the good news. So it was after the first round of presidential elections in France. Out of the four candidates only Emmanuel macron (Emmanuel Macron) spoke in support of the NATO, the European Union, the United States and against Putin. In addition, he had the courage to tell the French that they are, in fact, should work if you want to have a stronger economy.
And he won.
After the second round of the presidential elections to be held on may 7, macron will become the next President of the French Fifth Republic, which many of his opponents wanted to destroy. And within five years the West will maintain a United front against barbarism.
Macron received 23.7% of votes in the first round is not particularly impressive Americans, especially considering the fact that the National front leader, marine Le Pen supports Putin and making anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-NATO and anti-European positions, occupied second place, with 21.7% of votes. And there were only 11 candidates, four of whom were favorites of the race, and the fifth — a dark horse.
General surprise was the fact that for the first time within the lives of several generations of both traditional French party will not be represented in the second round. Their party machine stubbornly guaranteed the receipt of a sufficient number of votes in the first round of their candidates, but are now forced to send their remaining forces to support the Macron.
This unexpected Challenger 7 may will win a landslide victory over Le Pen. This banker, who had never held any political campaigns and who worked for some time in the current French Cabinet, is a true outsider, a man who is still there is no party, and there is only movement. Le Pen, the outsider status which quickly fizzles and heads the second generation of his family, relying on fear and hatred. It is a new old guard.
Some American conservatives were misled and believed that Madame Le Pen is their candidate, and it happened because of her tough stance against immigrants and Islam. However, it is a preferred candidate not only for Putin but also for terrorists — she shared the belief of Islamists that Muslims should not integrate into Western society.
With regard to relations with Putin, Le Pen prefers Moscow, not Manhattan. A loan of more than 9 million Euro, issued by her party located in Moscow Bank is the officially established fact, whereas the Russian disinformation — insidious “false news” was used in full to support her campaign. In response, she publicly praised the stumbling, bumbling and corrupt oligarchs, Putin’s economy, introducing her as “an exemplary model” for France.
It scares French voters. Contrary in America the wrong idea, immigration and security are secondary issues in this election. The French vote on the basis of the economy — they always do — and the French economy stagnates. Even the candidate of the extreme left forces, the old-school Communist Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Jean-Luc Mélenchon) did not say that Putin is the answer to the problem of unemployment in France (Jean-Luc Mélenchon prefers not to dilute his ideas of Trotsky).
Although sharp criticism of Le Pen to the European Union and was well received by her supporters, even those people who like hate speech, don’t want to lose their subsidies from Brussels.
Le Pen still managed to get second place, but this should not mislead. The vast majority of politically homeless voters will turn in the direction of the Macron, not the National front. And besides, she goes limp, in the second round (that’s what happens if you shoot yourself in the foot) is undertaken after attempts to smooth the denial of her father in the Holocaust, she has recently stated that he does not believe, in fact, the reason of France the participation of the Vichy government in the arrest of French Jews and their deportation to Nazi death camps. It was not a mistake. This was a deliberate technique.
But it didn’t work.
But the real loser in these elections is Vladimir Putin. France was to become his great prize, his lever for the collapse of NATO and the European Union. In Germany he can still hope for a more sympathetic government, but it will not be openly Pro-Moscow and anti-American. France seemed to be the weak link of Europe. World champion poker player made a big bet — and lost.
Are these elections a turning point? Putin is going through a terrible spring — one failure follows another. His failure began in late winter with the defeat of the Pro-Putin party in Bulgaria, as well as with disturbances in Montenegro and in the Russian coup attempt, however, this event attracted a lot of attention on this side of the Atlantic.
The real crushing blow was the decision of the President of trump to punish the Syrian bloody butcher Bashar al-Assad for using poison gas against his own people. Putin, the master part of the bluff, was not able to prevent our strike with cruise missiles or something to answer it. Then the major powers of the European Union refused to lift sanctions imposed after the invasion of Putin to Ukraine. And last week, the administration trump should give her that refused to ease sanctions in order for the company Exxon Mobil had the opportunity to save the Russian economy.
So, where are we while we wait on may 7, when will be the decisive round? I think one promising candidate is ready to occupy the Elysee Palace. Europe will become stronger, and the markets will respond with growth. The transatlantic relationship will continue. And Putin just felt the limits of his campaign to undermine our democracies.
Long live France! Vive la France!
Ralph Peters is a strategic analyst with Fox News.
