After a long wait, Emmanuel Macron has announced he will be running for another term as France’s President.
Macron announced on Thursday that he seeks an extension of authority over the Eurozone’s second-largest economy. He also seeks to guide France through a potentially difficult period as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the pandemic.
In his “Letter to the French”, Macron called for the unity of his people as he described his candidacy as the path that must be followed.
“Over the past five years, we have faced many trials together: terrorism, the pandemic, war in Europe; rarely has France been faced with such an accumulation of crises,” he wrote.
“We have not succeeded in everything,” Macron continued. “There are choices that, with the experience I have acquired, I would no doubt make differently. But the transformations undertaken during this mandate have enabled many of us to live better, and France to gain in independence. And the crises we have been experiencing for the past two years show that this is the path that must be followed.”
He further described his candidacy as a preparation for the future of France and a means to respond to the challenges of the century.
“I am asking for your confidence for a new mandate as president of the Republic. I am a candidate to … respond to the challenges of the century. I am a candidate to defend our values … I am a candidate to continue to prepare the future of our children and our grandchildren.”
Macron’s declaration has come barely 24 hours before the 6p.m deadline set for Friday by the authorities. This has been linked to his prominent diplomatic role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The 44-year old who became President five years ago as an independent candidate is yet to officially start a campaign with the first round of the election billed to hold on the 10th of April.
He cancelled a rally slated for Marseille this week as he keeps playing a central diplomatic role in the Russia-Ukraine situation.
Macron is being tipped to return as President with polls online giving him 25% of the vote while closest rival Marine Le Pen has 17%.
What Macron’s Candidacy Means to Africa
Mali earlier in the year pulled out of links with colonialists France as they sought new partners in Russia. This has also been seen in the Central African Republic where the authorities are choosing to work with mercenaries from Russia.
Macron has in the past one year accepted France’s unholy past in Africa. He went to Rwanda last year as France cozied up to Kigali for the first time in more than two decades.
He also admitted the culpability of France in the massive killing of Algerians in the 1960s and established a commission of “memory and truth” to investigate the details of the event.
The French President also returned some of the artworks stolen by his country to Benin Republic and Senegal.
While his African relations has received much criticism at home, his candidacy is still popular amongst many French locals.
