Emmanuel Macron
14 May 2017 - Incumbent
25
Emmanuel Macron: The Youngest President of France
Emmanuel Macron was born in Amiens, France on December 21, 1977. He attended a prestigious high school in Paris before studying philosophy and economics at the École Normale Supérieure and later obtaining a master’s degree in public affairs from Sciences Po and an MBA from the École Nationale d’Administration. After completing his education, Macron began working in the French Ministry of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs, eventually rising to the position of Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in 2014 under President François Hollande.
In 2017, Macron announced his candidacy for the presidency of France as an independent candidate. He ran on a platform of centrist and liberal policies, advocating for the European Union, free-market economics, and social progressivism. In the first round of the election, he received 24% of the vote, coming in first place. In the second round, he faced off against the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and won with over 66% of the vote.
Early Life and Education
Emmanuel Macron was born to a middle-class family in Amiens, a city in northern France. His mother was a physician and his father was a neurology professor. From a young age, Macron was interested in politics and was known for his intellectual curiosity. He attended a local high school before moving to Paris to attend the prestigious Lycée Henri-IV, where he excelled in literature and philosophy.
After graduating from high school, Macron attended the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he studied philosophy and earned a degree in the subject. He then went on to study economics at Sciences Po, a highly-regarded French university. After completing his studies at Sciences Po, Macron attended the École Nationale d’Administration, a school that trains civil servants for high-level positions in the French government.
Political Career
After graduating from the École Nationale d’Administration, Macron began working in the French Ministry of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs. He quickly rose through the ranks, serving as a senior civil servant and economic adviser to President François Hollande. In 2014, he was appointed Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs, a position he held until 2016.
In 2016, Macron resigned from his position in the government and announced his candidacy for the presidency of France. He formed a new political party, En Marche!, which he described as being neither left-wing nor right-wing. Instead, En Marche! was a centrist and liberal movement that advocated for European integration, free-market economics, and social progressivism.
Macron’s candidacy was initially seen as a long shot, but he quickly gained momentum as a fresh face in French politics. He ran a highly successful campaign, emphasizing his youth, energy, and optimism. He also benefited from the unpopularity of the established political parties, which had been plagued by corruption scandals and a lack of new ideas.
In the first round of the election, Macron received 24% of the vote, coming in first place. In the second round, he faced off against the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who had promised to withdraw France from the European Union.