You can't read European news the same way that you read American news. Here's why:
Europe views all politics/government through a socialistic lens. To them, the Left Wing of the "bird of socialism" is communism (e.g. no private property) while their Right Wing of that same "bird of socialism" is fascism (e.g. police state, but private property is ok).
Broadly, Europe doesn't understand "American Exceptionalism," the rugged individual, or an economy undirected by government.
Americans make the above understanding worse by misusing "Left Wing" as being equal to "liberal" and "Right Wing" as being equal to the conservative view of individual rights and small government.
So even when we speak the same language our words to each other don't convey the correct meanings.
When Europeans say "Left Wing" they don't mean "liberals." Only Americans mean that.
When Europeans say "Right Wing" they don't mean Conservatives. Only Americans mean that.
Europeans only know flavors of Socialism. Their Left Wing and their Right Wing refer to which flavor of Socialism.
Using those same words inside the USA means something else entirely.
True, but this is also applies to the FReepers getting all excited thinking LePen will be "right wing" because the media says she is.
There is a valid point to be made that "centrist" Macron is ideologically more like Obama, but the same can be said for about 90% of the political parties in France. Most of their "right-wing", "left-wing", and "centrist" parties are far closer to Hillary Clinton than Ronald Reagan. Anyone even remotely resembling an actual American style conservative ends up in about 8th or 9th place in the French elections, and never makes it to the runoff.
The one post above was an excellent summery: Macron is about as “centrist” as Mao Tse-tung. And Le Pen is about as “far right” as Susan Collins.
The French election is simply a matter of "lesser of two evils"