Putin and Xi react to Macron’s electoral victory

by


World leaders were quick to congratulate French President Emmanuel Macron on his electoral victory over far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

Many in Europe described the result of Sunday’s vote as a victory for the European Union, since a victory for Le Pen, a deeply eurosceptic politician, could have had huge implications for the bloc’s stability.

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Macron a congratulatory message, Russian news agencies quoted the Kremlin as saying on Monday.

“I sincerely wish you success in government, sound health and well-being,” Putin said in a telegram, which the Kremlin posted on its official website on Monday.

Similarly, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated his French counterpart, saying he would “like to continue working with President Macron to maintain diplomatic relations based on independence, mutual understanding, foresight and mutual benefit,” according to a reading of the state chain CCTV.

The Chinese leader added that he has always viewed China-France ties from a “long-term and strategic perspective,” saying the healthy and stable development of relations is increasingly important as the global arena undergoes “changes”. complex”.

‘Well done Emmanuel’

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, as well as the prime ministers of Belgium and Luxembourg, were among the first to congratulate Macron, followed by almost all 27 leaders of the bloc, after his victory over Marine Le Pen by a comfortable margin. .

“Bravo Emmanuel,” Michel wrote in Twitter in French.

“In this turbulent period, we need a solid Europe and a France fully committed to a more sovereign and more strategic European Union.”

Although polls had predicted that Macron would win the second round of Sunday’s French presidential election, the experience of the UK’s surprise vote to leave the EU and the election of Donald Trump in the US in 2016 had some worried that he might win. a surprised choice.

Le Pen had long flirted with the idea of ​​leaving the EU, although she insisted during her campaign that this time she had no “secret agenda” to leave the group or the single euro currency.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Macron’s re-election was “wonderful news for all of Europe” while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said French voters “have today sent a strong vote of confidence to Europe.” .

The leaders of Sweden, Romania, Lithuania, Finland, the Netherlands and Greece, as well as the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, reacted within half an hour of the result with their congratulations.

“I look forward to continuing our extensive and constructive cooperation within the EU and NATO, and further strengthening the excellent relationship between our countries,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, tweeted his congratulations to Macron.

“Citizens have chosen a France committed to a free, strong and fair EU. Democracy wins. Europe wins,” Sánchez wrote. “Congratulations Emmanuel Macron.”

Sánchez on Thursday wrote a set opinion piece in the French newspaper Le Monde, with Germany’s Scholz and Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa criticizing Le Pen and urging people to vote for Macron.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the public face of Brexit for many Europeans, applauded the result, vowing to cooperate with Macron and saying: “France is one of our closest and most important allies.”

US President Joe Biden also hailed Macron’s victory. “France is our oldest ally and a key partner in addressing global challenges,” he said in a tweet.

“I look forward to our continued close cooperation, including in supporting Ukraine, defending democracy and fighting climate change.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has spoken with Macron several times since Russia’s invasion of his country on February 24, congratulated his French counterpart by phone.

On Twitter, Zelenskyy called Macron a “true friend of Ukraine.”

“I wish you more success for the sake of the [French] people. I appreciate your support and I am convinced that we are moving forward together towards new common victories,” he wrote in Ukrainian and French.

The leaders of Australia and Canada also congratulated Macron.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Macron’s victory a “great expression of liberal democracy in action in uncertain times” and said he wished the French leader and his country “every success, in particular his leadership in Europe.” and as an important partner of Australia in the Indo-Pacific”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “looking forward to continuing to work together on the issues that matter most to people in Canada and France, from defending democracy, to fighting climate change, to creating good jobs and economic growth for the class. half”. .




Reference-www.aljazeera.com

Leave a Comment