France's Voters Reject Establishment in Election

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

In the United States, Donald J. Trump upended the political establishment, throwing out the professional politicians from the Republican side of the race during the 2016 Primary, and the Clinton Machine from the Democrat side of the race during the November Election for President of the United States.  As an outsider, he was seen by the establishment as a dangerous populist, and the knives have been out ever since.  Those outside of the establishment have been making ground in Europe, as well.  In Britain, the Brexit vote told the establishment that the U.K. voters no longer wanted to be handcuffed to the rest of Europe through the European Union.  In France, with the added issue of Muslim refugees and the coinciding rise of Islamic terrorism in the country, outsiders Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen won a victory in France's first of two elections for the country's presidency.  Marine Le Pen, coined by many as being France's version of Trump, is calling for France to exit the E.U., and be more strict on their immigration rules in order to protect France from a steady increase of Muslim migrants.  Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron may not be a hardcore socialist like the rest of France's political establishment, but he does believe the relationship with the European Union needs to be tighter, not severed.

This is the first time in 60 years none of France's mainstream parties have entered the second round of the election.  While Emmanuel Macron won first place ahead of National Front leader Marine Le Pen, the next round at the ballot box may be anybody's game.  With many other candidates in this latest round of votes, Macron achieved 23.8 per cent of the votes, followed by Le Pen with 21.5 per cent.  In the next round, it will be a one on one battle on May 7.

Le Pen did not mince words regarding her opinion of the establishment.

She said, "It is time to liberate the French people from the arrogant [political] elite."

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary