Off the wire
• Almost 7,000 Russians suffer from tick bites  • 4 militants among 5 killed in Pakistan's Karachi clash  • 1st LD Writhru: At least 27 killed in road accident in eastern Kenya  • 1st LD Writethru: 10 killed as passenger van hits landmine in NW Pakistan  • Afghan president meets Australian PM on ties  • 1st LD: DPRK conducts large-scale artillery drills on army anniversary: Yonhap  • Spotlight: Philippines to push for greater ASEAN unity, deeper integration at summit  • Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, April 25  • Urgent: At least 27 killed in road accident in eastern Kenya  • Myanmar encourages students for ASEAN scholarship application  
You are here: 　 Home

Germany pleased with results of first-round French presidential poll

Xinhua, April 25, 2017 Adjust font size:

Germany made a sign of relief on Monday after Sunday's first-round presidential election in France.

"We are pleased and relieved that the vote of the French voters is a pro-European one," Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) quoted a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry as saying.

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and ultra-right candidate Marine Le Pen both entered the second round, but it is generally believed that the former would win on May 7.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman also wished Macron good luck in next month's second round, according to the DPA.

Sigmar Gabriel, German vice chancellor and foreign minister, told reporters that he believed that Macron "was the only pro-European candidate who did not hide behind prejudices against Europe."

One dissenting voice came from Frauke Petry, the co-leader of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, who congratulated Le Pen for reaching the second round.

"France has given a clear rejection of stagnation and exaggerated political correctness and wants alternatives," DPA quoted Petry as saying. Endi