Protests, violence, curfews: From France to Albania, why Europe'...
/ 2026-10-20 23:47:20Focus
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a congratulatory message to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron after Macron won re-election to the French presidency, according to Reuters.
Macron became the first French leader to win re-election in 20 years, scoring 58.54% against Le Pen 41.46%. Le Pen, on the other hand, has been criticized for supporting Putin during the campaign.
Throughout the election campaign Macron has said the French will work harder, saying he is open to discussing plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 65.
Le Pen, meanwhile, has reiterated his proposal to ban people from wearing Muslim headscarves in public - an approach that has been seen as extreme by many French people.