Barack Obama's Support for Emmanuel Macron in the French Presidential Election

Barack Obama, the former President of the United States, released a message supporting Emmanuel Macron, the centrist politician, against his far-right rival Marine Le Pen, ahead of the second round of the French presidential election. According to Reuters, Obama's message praised Macron's approach to 'inspiring hope in people rather than instilling fear.' The former U.S. president stated that Macron is 'committed to building a better future for the people of France' and 'adheres to libertarian values.' Obama added, 'This election period in France is very important for the country and the values we hold dear... I support Emmanuel Macron in this regard.' The second round of the French presidential election will take place next Sunday, with Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front party, as one of the two final candidates, turning it into a referendum on France's fate in the European Union and its immigration policies. In an unprecedented move, the European Commission supported Emmanuel Macron, calling him a representative of European values. On the other hand, Marine Le Pen has promised that if she wins the presidential election, she will put France's continued membership in the European Union to a referendum. Macron and Le Pen participated in a televised debate on Wednesday evening, during which they directed sharp criticisms at each other. AFP reports that their discussions revolved around terrorism and how to combat it, the economy, and the European Union, topics on which both sides have significant disagreements, intensifying the atmosphere. Le Pen referred to Macron as 'the candidate of the ruling elites,' while Macron labeled Le Pen as the harbinger of 'fear.' Reports on the impact of this debate have been mixed. While some state that the debate did not help undecided voters make a decision, AFP writes that 63% of the debate's audience said Macron appeared better and more convincing.