France votes to avert a hard-right turn

French president Emmanuel Macron won re-election yesterday, defeating far right candidate Marine Le Pen. Macron also beat Le Pen back in 2017, but in this race her nationalist message gained more momentum, as France grapples with anger over cost-of-living increases, French involvement in Ukraine’s war, and more.

• Plus, workers at big chains still earning less than $15 an hour.

Guests: Megan Clement, freelance journalist based in Paris; Olivier Knox, foreign affairs reporter for the Washington Post; and Axios' Emily Peck.

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Alex Sugiura, and Lydia McMullen-Laird. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Go deeper:

• Macron defeats Le Pen to win re-election in France
• Majority of hourly workers at big chains earn less than $15 an hour