Staff Reporter
President Mnangagwa has congratulated the President of France, Emmanuel Macron following his re-election in the recent presidential elections.
Writing on his Twitter handle yesterday, the President Mnangagwa said Macron’s victory was historic, and added that the future relations between France and Zimbabwe were bright.
“Congratulations to my good friend President Emmanuel Macron on your historic re-election. The future is bright for French-Zimbabwean relations,” said the President.
President Macron won by 58.8 percent against his rival Marine Le Pen. Macron’s emphatic victory was expected as opinion polls had predicted it since last year.
World leaders have since described Macron’s victory as a win for the European Union.
European Council President, Charles Michel was among the first to congratulate Macron followed by almost all of the bloc’s 27 leaders.
“Bravo Emmanuel. In this turbulent period, we need a solid Europe and a France totally committed to a more sovereign and more strategic European Union,” Michel wrote on Twitter.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Macron’s re-election was “wonderful news for all of Europe,” while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said French voters “have sent a strong vote of confidence in Europe today.”
The leaders of Sweden, Romania, Lithuania, Finland, the Netherlands and Greece, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, all congratulated Macron within half an hour of the result.
“I look forward to continuing our extensive and constructive cooperation within the EU and NATO, and to further strengthening the excellent relationship between our countries,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted that, “the citizens have chosen a France committed to a free, strong and fair EU. Democracy wins. Europe wins.”
United States President Joe Biden also hailed Macron’s victory. “France is our oldest ally and a key partner in addressing global challenges,” he said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, some political analysts have hailed Macron’s victory saying that a victory for Le Pen, a deeply Eurosceptic politician who has professed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, would have had huge implications for the stability of the EU. Macron has broken a record as being the first President in 20 years to be elected for a second term in France.
