The victory by Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential election was met with sighs of relief around Europe. His markedly pro-European campaign and his promise to defend the interests of France within a revived Europe raised hopes that the continental integration process can be relaunched, especially after the German parliamentary election at the end of September, which is expected to confirm Angela Merkel as German Chancellor for a fourth term.
The post-election reality, however, may prove more complicated for two sets of reasons, domestic and European.
On the domestic front, Emmanuel Macron may prove less effective than his large margin of victory − 66 per cent against 34 per cent − would suggest. He will face three types of resistance to his reformist programme. The first challenge will be passing legislation through a parliament that is likely to be Balkanized after the general election, to be held in two rounds on June 11 and 18.
