French Election

It is rather worrying that Le Pen's popularity has grown by several points since she ceased being the leader of the FN party and, typically (some may say "cynically"), she has been making the right noises to attract undecided voters. If her numbers keep rising as they are, she may become the next President of France which might serve Theresa May's short term interest rather nicely but otherwise would be a Bad Thing.

One day Macron claims to be an ardent Europhile and wants tighter integration and the next he is demanding EU reform and threatening Frexit - the later position undoubtedly designed to counter Le Pen's appeal as a Eurosceptic. A Macron presidency could pose a few problems for the UK since he wants an end to the juxtaposed border controls provided for by the Le Touquet Treaty and the earlier Sangatte Protocol. The removal of UK Border controls in France back to the UK could pose security implications relating to British jihadis returning from Syria and elsewhere who may well find it easier to get back into the UK disguised as refugees than before. However these juxtaposed controls also benefit France - and the EU - I suggest he's only proposing scrapping them to appeal to the northern French electorate.

It has been said, by me amongst many others, that this election is Macron's to lose. He just has to get through the next five days without looking like he is taking it for granted.

I respectfully suggest that the British border will be heading back across the Channel anyway, due to Brexit.

Macron like Farron can be pro-EU without pretending that it's perfect.

Well it all went as we expected and the new boy is at the helm in France.

Lets see if he can unite the country

I am very happy with the outcome - and I like two little gestures by Macron since he won - first, his televised invitation to American climate scientists to move to France, and second, his announcement that his wife will have a formal role.

I agree. Let's hope that he always remembers that more people didn't vote for him than did and he should govern accordingly. Whether he will reform France's economy - oft described as a basket case - remains to be seen but I doubt it. But maybe he will reign-in Merkel.