DEU, ESP, PRT Leaders Write Article Calling For Voters To Back Macron

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Portuguese PM Antonio Costa, and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez have penned a joint article published in Spanish outlet El Pais calling on French voters to back the incumbent, President Emmanuel Macron, in Sunday's run-off election against the right-winger, Rassembelement National leader Marine Le Pen.

• The articledoes not use either candidates names, but states that the contest "...is the choice between a Democratic candidate, who believes that France's strength extends into a powerful and autonomous European Union, and a candidate from the extreme right, who openly sides with those who attack our freedom and our democracy , values based on French ideas of the Enlightenment."
• The unprecedented article risks a backlash from French voters, with outside pressure on elections in France or any other country from foreigners often having the opposite effect as intended:
  • In the 2016 Brexit referendum, then-US President Barack Obama stated that the UK would be 'at the back of the queue' when it came to negotiating any FTAs. The comment resulted in accusations of Obama harbouring 'anti-British' feelings.
  • In the 2004 US presidential eleciton, the left-leaning Guardian newspaper in the UK organised a letter-writing campagin for readers to write to voters in the electorally important Clark County, Ohio to argue they should vote for Democratic candidate John Kerry over Republican incumbent George W. Bush. Bush carried Clark County by 50.8% to 48.7%. In the previous election, Bush lost the county to Al Gore.