Bof! That useful French word – an older and slightly less irritating version of the American-English ‘meh’ – is how many people feel about the re-election of Emmanuel Macron.
The centre holds even as things fall apart – in 21st century France, anyway. It was inevitable and in the end easy. Mainstream commentators, almost unanimously pro-Macron, have spent the last few days trying to inject a sense of drama into the vote by suggesting the threat Le Pen posed was great. But it was painfully obvious that Macron would win. At 44, he will almost certainly still be President in 2027, when the constitution (as currently composed) will compel him to stand down.
He isn’t loved. The abstention rate on Sunday is estimated to be 29.6 per cent; up 2 per cent on the second round of 2017. His job approval rating is around 41 per cent, according to the latest surveys.
The real threat to France in 2027 could come from the radical left more than the right
He is, however, more respected among the French, especially the elderly, than Brexit-supporters in the Anglosphere tend to think.
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