On Sunday, France held the run-off of the presidential election between independent Emmanuel Macron, the leader of the "En Marche!" movement, and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Front far-right movement. Macron won the presidential race with 66.1 percent (over 20.7 million votes), while Le Pen received 33.9 percent (10.6 million votes).
"The majority of investors and speculators are betting that as a result of the French election Europe will unite and get more integrated. They believe that Macron’s victory will help resolve such issues as the migration crisis, unemployment and a slump in economic growth. But it’s an illusion," Pushkarev told Sputnik.
"The result of the election in France will only preserve the existing problems in their current states for the next several years," Pushkarev said.
He also expressed doubt the French government will be able to offer ideas for reforms in the EU.
"If there is a strong impetus for changes in the European Union, it will not come from France. The bloc needs an impulse for a fair discussion of the existing difficulties in the interests of each of the current bloc’s members and their people," the analyst concluded.
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