Macron faces crucial but difficult tasks

French President Emmanuel Macron's election to a second term, after beating far-right challenger Marine Le Pen in the second round of voting on April 24, signifies a victory for the centrists over radical politicians. Many voters who had backed other candidates in the first round switched to Macron.

In his victory speech, Macron thanked those voters, saying that he knew they voted for him not because they agreed with his election platform, but because they wanted to resist the ideas of the far right.

Macron's reelection provides continuity, stability and certainty in French politics, and is great news for Europe amid the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Facing uncertainty in the world, it is more important to have someone who is more reliable than out of line for France.

Macron's first term in office was full of twists and turns. After taking office as the youngest president of France in 2017, he strongly carried out some important institutional reforms in the early stage, such as pension and taxation, but faced opposition and even intensified social conflicts, with his approval rating once falling to a historic low of 23 percent.

However, Macron made positive adjustments in the later stage and gradually strengthened communication with the public after the anti-government Yellow Vest movement. The lowest unemployment rate over the past 13 years and better economic performance than the average eurozone level were critical to his reelection.

Le Pen received 41.5 percent of the votes, signaling that the rise of France's populist right will pose a major challenge to Macron's future in power. In addition, as much as 28 percent of voters abstained in the second round, according to pollsters, as the French expressed their dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Over the next five years, Macron will need to accomplish three tasks that are difficult to accomplish in domestic and foreign affairs.

The first is to boost domestic economic development and improve people's livelihood. The Russia-Ukraine crisis has severely hindered the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, and there has been widespread high inflation caused by rising energy prices in European countries.

In March, the inflation rate in France reached 4.5 percent, the highest since the 1980s, and the consumer price index rose 1.4 percent in just one month. The national statistics institute INSEE said the French economy is expected to grow just 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2022, down from the Bank of France's previous forecast of 0.5 percent.

The decrease in effective domestic demand will be a major constraint on French economic growth. To reverse this decline, Macron will have to press ahead with tax cuts and pension reforms amid the tough times and against huge opposition from the public, which will require a lot of political courage.

The second task is to promote the European Union's strategic autonomy while European integration is at an ebb. Macron is a leading advocate of EU strategic autonomy, while Le Pen criticized European integration as damaging to French interests. So Macron's reelection has given the EU a big sigh of relief.

However, against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, European integration is facing unprecedented difficulties. Poland and the three Baltic states have criticized Macron's cautious policy toward Russia, accusing France of being passive on sanctions against Russia and military aid to Ukraine. Thus, Macron needs enough political courage to push ahead with EU strategic autonomy.

The third task is to ensure that France plays an independent role in the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In his victory speech, Macron said voters' support for him showed that the French embraced an ambitious program of independence for France and Europe.

However, Macron's independent foreign policy faces considerable difficulties. His mediation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has made little progress. Even so, the US is still unsatisfied with France's tendency to be a bit independent within NATO. After Brexit, France became the EU's only permanent member of the UN Security Council, with a mission to play an independent international role on behalf of the EU. Against the background of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and with the EU's reliance on NATO for its security, France undoubtedly needs great political courage to play an independent international role.

Macron's reelection means continuity and stability for France in terms of autonomy, openness and rationality. In today's world, safeguarding world peace and development requires not only the willingness and ability to act but also the courage to act. Not all of Macron's policies in his first term were successful, but his courage impressed many people.

With a positive and pragmatic attitude, Macron has played a constructive role in China-EU relations for the benefit of the two peoples. In his new term, Macron will have to lead France and Europe to accomplish these important but difficult tasks and continue to promote world peace and development with great political courage.

The author is deputy director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern Europe and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.