Hours after the French polls closed on Sunday, the results were already international news. Emmanuel Macron, a pro-immigration, pro-business centrist who pledges to fight for everyone, was in the run-off against Marine Le Pen, an anti-immigration, anti-NATO populist. For Americans, the election gave a sense of dejá vu.

The difference between the French and American presidential election, however, is that the candidates who won each were opposites. After the US voted for Donald Trump, whose stances against immigration and his opposition to free trade were the prime concepts of his candidacy, France went a different route, selecting Emmanuel Macron, a candidate who is more Hillary-esque.

This established the question: Was the French election result in direct correlation with the American election that preceded it by only a few months? By any logical indication, it appears that it was.

A few minutes of analysis will quickly reveal the similarities of Le Pen and Macron to Trump and Clinton, with clear emphasis on policies in immigration, jobs, and free trade. Is it surprising that the French voters turned away from the populist movement that the American voters supported? The way we see it, not really.

According to a nationwide poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, Trump’s approval rating approaches record lows at 38% (TIME.com). It appears that the US is not only influencing international politics, but the country has provided an example of what not to do.

There are skeptics who fail to see any American influence in the French election, but the US has poked its nose in European and Asian affairs for decades, and not much has changed today. Today, the US remains the only global power, a title that took two world wars and a nuclear arms race to protect.

It seems as though the US is involved in global affairs more than we may have initially thought. Not only is the US a looming military presence, but now it appears as though domestic politics are shaping the world around us. Perhaps without intention, the US has become an archetype for the political systems across the world. If so, we Americans need to step up and set a strong example to maintain the influence and respect we have on an international scale.

Editorial Board Vote:

Agree – 7

Disagree – 0