Relief in Berlin as Macron Wins First Round

HANDELSBLATT – GLOBAL: Pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron’s success in France’s first-round presidential election has raised hopes in neighboring Germany that the French will reject far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and break the populist fever that has swept Europe.

Berlin can breathe a sigh of relief – for now. Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has taken the lead in the first round of France’s presidential election, raising hopes in neighboring Germany that its most important European partner will hold the line against a populist wave that threatens to upend the European Union.

The contest, however, is far from over and the final outcome is anything but certain. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen was nipping at Mr. Macron’s heels in Sunday’s poll, trailing him by just 2 percentage points in the first round according to preliminary results. » | Spencer Kimball | Sunday, April 23, 2017