Last week, French voters expressed both frustration with the current situation and good sense. They elected centrist Emmanuel Macron as president by a two-to-one margin over Marine Le Pen of the extreme right-wing National Front.
Their frustration was shown in that the final two candidates were not from France's two traditional parties. Some 11 percent of the voters cast blank or deliberately spoiled ballots. Turnout among the 47 million eligible voters was lower than in some previous elections.
Macron will not face an easy time as president. The giant challenge he will face will come in June, when French voters will elect a new parliament, with 577 seats. His party, En Marche, formed last year after he left the government, holds no seats.
It is difficult to say how he will get along with President Donald Trump, given the generation gap and Trump's tacit support for Le Pen. They have agreed to meet at the NATO leaders meeting in Brussels on May 25.
In his acceptance speech, Macron acknowledged the fierce divide in France. "I will fight with all my power against the divisions that undermine us, and which are tearing us apart," he said. Whether by default or disgust with the alternative, French voters' choice of Macron is the best for France, for Europe and for the United States.
Editorial on 05/13/2017