Emmanuel Macron takes the oath for his second term as France’s president, vows to lead with a ‘new’ method in a country where presidents are rarely re-elected
French President Emmanuel Macron during the ceremony of his inauguration for a second term at the Elysee palace, in Paris, France, Saturday
In a country where presidents rarely get re-elected, Emmanuel Macron won 58.5% of the votes in the second round against the far-right’s Marine Le Pen, despite strong opposition to his pro-business policies and a proposal to raise the retirement age.
Emmanuel Macron also spoke of the need to innovate at a time of unprecedented challenges for the world and for France, and said his second term would be “new” and not merely a continuation of his first five years in office.
Le peuple français a fait le choix d'un projet clair et explicite d'avenir. Un projet républicain et européen. Un projet de progrès scientifique, social et écologique. Un projet fidèle à l'esprit, qui depuis les Lumières, n'a cessé de souffler sur nos terres. pic.twitter.com/ApZhduUhgI
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 7, 2022
About 500 guests attended the swearing-in ceremony at the Elysee presidential palace, where the president of the Constitutional Council read the results of the election. Among guests present were former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, former prime ministers Edouard Philippe, Manuel Valls, Alain Juppe and Jean-Pierre Raffarin, as well as religious leaders and other state figures.
Before making a speech, Macron received the necklace of Grand Master of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest distinction.
In line with tradition, a 21-gun salute was fired from the Invalides plaza, a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, to mark the occasion.
Macron’s second term in office begins May 14.