In the aftermath of the second round, the outcome of the presidential election did not arouse great enthusiasm this morning in Saint-Denis. Emmanuel Macron came in well ahead of Marine Le Pen with 79.09% of the vote. But nearly one in two voters (56.03%) did not vote against one in three in the first round (66.13%).
–“Democracy has spoken“, comments Khadija, 64, who crosses the shopping cart by hand the Place Jean Jaurès, opposite the town hall. “We can only congratulate ourselves that the Le Pen did not pass. Afterwards, there are many disappointed.”
Duty to vote
If she went to vote, it’s “because it’s a duty, otherwise you shouldn’t complain“. She concedes that many of her acquaintances have not moved. “In the first round, I know a lot of people who voted Mélenchon because they were sensitive to his speech. Some because he condemned Islamophobia, others because they are worried about the difficulties.“
Albert (not his real name), in his sixties, says that “we get the politicians we deserve. Macron why not? I’m glad he passed, because he’s the only one capable of leading the country. But given the staging of his victory yesterday, I’m not sure he still understands very well the mess we’ve been in for twenty years.“
Abstention
Wafa lights a cigarette while waiting for the bus on rue de la République. “I am 37 years old and I am a salesperson. I voted Mélenchon in the first round, but I didn’t go in the second. No interest… Macron will do what he wants, I will continue to juggle the end of the month. The “work more” I know, but “the earn more”…“
Eric, 29, is employed in logistics. Today is his day off. “These are tough jobs, but I’m not complaining. I earn my living honestly, that’s what counts. Elections, politics, it’s none of my business. Left, right, it’s the same.”
Amar, 25, wants to be more optimistic. “I did not go to vote out of laziness. I never registered on the electoral lists, because I don’t care. But I would have liked Mélenchon to be in the second round, just for there to be a real clash, for things to move. So, maybe now that the extreme right is over 40%, that will change.“
