The Russian-Backed Xenophobe Is Defeated in the French Presidential Election

           The pro-Russian anti-European “nationalist” far-right candidate was crushed in the French presidential runoff election today by the pro-European center-left candidate. 

Both the defeated conservative first-round presidential candidate and the most recent conservative President had backed the center-left candidate over the xenophobe who was supported by the Russian Federation, led by the authoritarian ex-KGB agent Vladimir Putin.  The losing far-right candidate would have taken France out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and discarded the Western alliance. 

Donald Trump had favored the pro-Russian nationalist.  The Russians interfered heavily in the French presidential election, as they have elsewhere in Europe and in the American presidential election.  Some of the same far-right Americans and Russian-created fake social media accounts who had supported Trump also supported the French xenophobe.  Since Trump’s election, far right candidates, usually supported by Russia, have lost in Austria, the Netherlands and France, either to center-right or center-left pro-European candidates.   

The incoming French President had been a minister in the unpopular ruling Socialist presidential cabinet, but entered the field of candidates when his party’s candidate failed to attract enough support even to be competitive with the three leading candidates, who included also a far-left candidate.  Although their domestic policy included large tax increases, the Socialists have been good allies of the United States both in the War on Terrorism and in standing up to Russian aggression.  

The French people voted patriotically today against dominance by a hostile foreign power and for the Western Alliance.  May France enjoy independence, peace, security, liberty and prosperity.