Editorial: Lessons from France

The defeat of the politics of polarisation and hatred in the recent presidential elections in France holds significance that goes beyond Europe. President Emmanuel Macron, who represents centrist politics, won by a fairly comfortable margin over Le Pen of the far-right ideology, thereby arresting the tide of right-wing extremist tendencies in a society that is […]

The defeat of the politics of polarisation and hatred in the recent presidential elections in France holds significance that goes beyond Europe. President Emmanuel Macron, who represents centrist politics, won by a fairly comfortable margin over Le Pen of the far-right ideology, thereby arresting the tide of right-wing extremist tendencies in a society that is getting increasingly polarised on racial and religious lines. This is the first time in two decades in France that a President has been re-elected. Macron’s centrist and pragmatic brand of politics holds lessons for democratic countries like India. Though France has been a victim of repeated Islamist terror attacks since 2015, Macron has steadfastly refused to let the extremist right-wing forces hijack French politics. There is no doubt that Le Pen has increased her vote percentage, using a mix of religious bigotry and xenophobia, but it is a matter of big relief, not just for France but for the whole of Europe, that the march of far-right forces has been halted. India can justifiably feel a sense of reassurance over the re-election of Macron under whose leadership the Indo-French relations will be put safely on an even keel. France is an important source of technology in the defence, aerospace and civil nuclear sectors. It must be pointed out that Macron played a key role in finalising the sale of Rafale aircraft to India. His overall vision, encompassing respect for multilateralism, cultural diversity, the rule of law, and a commitment to European strategic autonomy, sits well with India’s long-standing positions.

Macron’s re-election is expected to further deepen the ongoing strategic partnership between the two countries and also provide robust support to strengthen New Delhi’s relations with the European Union. France is the current chair of the European union and Macron’s victory comes when both Brussels and New Delhi are engaged in widening and deepening ties. In India, many see France as an alternative to Russia in case Moscow is forced to move even closer to China and gloss over New Delhi’s concerns. Traditionally, France has acted as the voice of India in Europe, championing India’s cause with the other members of the European Union. Under Macron’s leadership, this effort is likely to be enhanced further. France, the second largest defence supplier after Russia, is an important strategic partner for India with immense potential for cooperation in a vast range of areas from security and defence to trade and commerce to cooperation in space to civil nuclear energy and emerging technologies. On the other hand, Le Pen, who bagged 65% of the votes of poorer sections in a deeply divided country, represents an anti-immigrant ideology. She is also known to lean towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and is sceptical towards both the European union and NATO. Her victory would have been a big setback for the idea of Europe.

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