Champion of united EU faces critical election challenge

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron sees himself as Europe’s savior and this week’s European Parliament elections as a make-or-break moment for the beleaguered European Union.

But Macron is no longer the fresh-faced force who marched into a surprising presidential victory to the rousing EU anthem two years ago. His pro-Europe vision has collided with populists across the continent. And at home, his political vision has given rise to France’s raucous yellow vest uprising over his government’s pro-business policies .

Macron wanted the May 23-26 European Parliament elections to be the key moment that he could push his ambitions for a stronger Europe — but instead, nationalists who criticized the 28-nation bloc could achieve unprecedented success.

They argue that EU leaders have failed to manage immigration into the continent and remain out of touch with ordinary workers’ concerns.

“We have a crisis of the European Union. This is a matter of fact. Everywhere in Europe, when you look at the past five to six years, in our country but in a lot of countries, all the extremes, extreme-rights, are increasing,” Macron said last week, making an unexpected appeal for European unity on the sidelines of a technology trade show.

“On currency, on digital, on climate action, we need more Europe,” he said. “I want the EU to be more protective of our borders regarding migration, terrorism and so on, but I think if you fragment Europe, there is no chance you have a stronger Europe.”

Macron has already visited 20 of the EU’s 28 countries in his two years in office, and while he acknowledges the EU’s problems, he wants to fix the bloc — not disassemble it.

Macron won the 2017 presidential election over France’s far-right, anti-immigration party leader...