Macron's victory

We are relieved at the result of the French elections with pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron winning the battle with the far right leader Marine Le Pen who sent chills across Europe and the rest of the world with her anti-immigration, racist rhetoric. 

We congratulate Macron on his victory for it signifies a win over an onslaught on liberal, progressive and secular values for which France has stood for and which has set the basic standards of a democratic world. The results prove that the majority of the French voters have rejected rightist, populist politics and are willing to put their faith in a young president with little political experience. 

We are heartened by this victory which reflects Europe's maturity in its efforts to retain the values of inclusiveness, tolerance and egalitarianism. Denmark and now France is in contrast to the mindboggling return of regressive, racist and insular politics in the US, and also in contrast to the Brexit experience, both of which were imitated by Le Pen.

While it is a laudable and comprehensive victory, for Macron the challenges are many. Being a newcomer in the political scene he has no representation in the parliament besides himself although he intends to contend all the seats in the upcoming parliamentary election. His success therefore, depends on not only convincing his voters but also the members of parliament that he is a man who will deliver on his goal to deal with several prickly issues including removing anti immigrant sentiments, creating jobs for the marginalised, revitalising the French economy and intelligently fighting terrorism. If he can tackle all these ambitious tasks successfully there is a fair chance that he may help in uniting the French people. Certainly this is a step in the right direction for a united, inclusive Europe.