“Emmanuel Macron has pulled off an extraordinary victory. A year ago his political movement En Marche! didn’t even exist. Now it has helped propel him to the presidency.
“The 39-year-old former merchant banker was always going to be the favourite once he made it to the final round against Marine Le Pen.
“The National Front is still toxic in the eyes of many French voters on the left and the right.
“Yet his was not quite the united vote France mustered against the National Front in 2002. Back then voters across the political spectrum joined forces to make sure Marine Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie only gained 18 per cent of the second round vote.
“This time the National Front virtually doubled that figure.”
Read more at ABC.net.au
