Barack Obama has endorsed Emmanuel Macron over Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election.

Though the former president’s spokesman Kevin Lewis said he would not endorse anyone in the election, he did just that in a video posted to Twitter Thursday where he encourages voters to pick the center-left candidate Emmanuel Macron in the upcoming election.

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It was the first time he made an official endorsement in the election.

Obama and Macron spoke by telephone in mid-April.

“President Obama appreciated the opportunity to hear from Mr. Macron about his campaign and the important upcoming presidential election in France, a country that President Obama remains deeply committed to as a close ally of the United States, and as a leader on behalf of liberal values in Europe and around the world,” Lewis said in a statement.