国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Electing Macron, France chooses not to yield to fear, but remains fractured_时事

国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Electing Macron, France chooses not to yield to fear, but remains fractured

ROME, May 8 -- Choosing Emmanuel Macron as new president, French voters made the distinct choice to not yield to fear, although the country remains deeply divided, according to Italian analysts.

"The message delivered by French voters in the runoff is very clear," Antonio Villafranca, research coordinator and head of the European Program with Italy's Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), told Xinhua.

"They did not yield to fear, nor to the temptation to shut themselves away, despite the fact that things are far from being perfect in their country as well as in the European Union (EU)."

Things must change, and reforms in a wide range of domains were needed at both domestic and European level, but without leaving the EU integration path -- That was the strongest message delivered by Macron, according to Villafranca.

Looking at the results, such message proved successful. Macron, 39, largely defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday's second round of vote, thus becoming the first president of the French Fifth Republic to be elected from outside mainstream parties.

Furthermore, his political platform would also go beyond the traditional "left-right" political divide so typical in European countries.

Despite his clear victory, and the wide voting gap between him and his far-right contender, however, Macron must now lead a country that would remain deeply fractured, according to another analyst.