The election may be over, but the struggle to preserve France’s values is not

Editorial: The next few years promise to be politically exhausting and economically difficult for France

(Brian Adcock)

Is the French glass half full or half empty? From the point of view of democrats the world over, there is a great temptation, and some good reason to take the optimistic point of view.

Only a few weeks ago, there was excited – and terrified – talk of a tiny lead for Emmanuel Macron over Marine Le Pen in the opinion polls. He was, after all, not a popular president even by French standards, and they seem to love to hate their leaders more than most.

After the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests) protests, and continuing concerns about migration and the economy, Covid and the Ukraine war, there were plenty of anxieties and grievances about, and plenty to blame Mr Macron for – fairly or not. His aloof manner gave him the nickname “Jupiter”, and many French took his vaguely Tony Blair-esque centrist policies as only being good for the rich and minorities (albeit a contradictory perception).