There wasn't much surprise in the voting for France's next President yesterday. All the polls and expectations were that Macron would win and that Le Pen would make a good showing.

Well, Macron won soundly, 58.8% to 41.2%. Ms. Le Pen’s 17-point loss to Mr. Macron was wider than some polls had estimated, but it was a significant improvement on her 32-point loss to him five years ago.

So what does that mean?

As the Wall Street Journal surmised; will the French President tack to the left or listen to his economic liberalizing instincts? Or, even in defeat, is Marine Le Pen leading France’s far right closer to power?

It appears to me that Macron said it best after the result was conceded last night by Le Pen:

“I know that many of our compatriots voted today for me—not in support of the ideas I defend—but to block those of the far-right.”

France has fractured over the past decade or so along economic, generational and geographical lines, with wealthier urban voters gravitating toward Mr. Macron and younger, working-class voters in France’s rural areas backing Ms. Le Pen. Mr. Macron is now under pressure to unite millions of French who cast ballots for his rivals in the election’s first-round of voting, when more than 50% of the vote went to candidates on the far right and far left.

Given his statement above, he realizes why he won and what is hurting him and the people of France. If he now governs that way, he might be successful. If he ignores that message, the way Biden has in the US, he will fail miserably, the way Biden has in the US.

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