What lies behind the German elite’s celebration of Macron?
By
Johannes Stern
26 April 2017
Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the first round of France’s presidential election has unleashed a veritable wave of celebration among the German ruling class.
Shortly after the first projections on Sunday evening, which showed Macron slightly ahead of the second-placed candidate, the neo-fascist Marine Le Pen of the National Front, the German government’s spokesman wrote on Twitter, “Good that Emmanuel Macron was successful with his course of a stronger EU+social market economy. All the best for the coming two weeks.”
The chairman of Germany’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Norbert Rötgen (Christian Democrats), enthused on the Phoenix television channel, “I think it cannot get better for Germany and Europe. I believe that we can now be hopeful that Macron will be president.”
Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor, the Social Democrat Sigmar Gabriel, declared during his three-day visit to the Middle East, “Of course I am happy that Emmanuel Macron led in the election. He had the strongest result of all candidates and will now go into the second round and I am sure he will be the new French president.” He would “do everything personally” to “continue to support” Macron. He would be “an excellent president,” but was “also an incredibly friendly person and a good friend.”
The so-called opposition parties also popped the champagne corks. Green Party chairman Cem Özdemir praised Macron on Twitter by commenting, “Merci, la France! Thank you #France! Best of luck to Emmanuel Macron! Onwards to the second round!” The chairman of the free market Free Democrats (FDP), Christian Lindner, wrote, “A signal for Europe, a signal of renewal….