Despite the sigh of relief over Emmanuel Macron’s first-place finish, the first round of the French presidential elections sent a perfectly clear message that cannot be ignored.
The wave of populism that had begun to recede after the first wave of the pandemic is making a strong comeback, transcending the basic, traditional Right-Left divisions.
France’s two most historic parties, those of Francois Mitterand and Charles de Gaulle, the basic exponents of the centre-left and the centre-right, respectively, drew single-digit polling numbers.
On the other hand, the far right, with Marine Lepen’s electoral performance, is establishing itself as the main opponent of the predominant political centre, while the polling numbers of the radical left of Jean-Luc Mélenchon skyrocketed.
France is not the only country to be confronted with populism so swiftly. A few days ago, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban won re-election in a landslide, while the Trumpists and Donald Trump himself are already preparing for the 2024 general election.
Populism has no ideology, because all populists speak the same language. They exploit identity issues and appeal to the baser instincts of an enraged and fearful electorate.
The first-round results in the French presidential election remind us that they are dangerous for precisely that reason.
The second round is equally important, as it will demonstrate whether the country that gave birth to modern democracy will build a protective wall against a future that scares all of Europe.
