I think that we can all be quite relieved at the news of the outcome of the French election. Of course, I don’t follow French politics that closely, so I can’t say much about it, but I think all pro-European, educated liberal people are breathing a collective sigh of relief this morning. I’ve heard it said that the choice between Macron and Le Pen was like the choice between cholera and the plague, but at least we aren’t waking up to a far right, ultra nationalist becoming President of one of Europe’s major economies. If Le Pen had become leader of France, it would have been a disaster, not just for France but the whole of Europe: she would no doubt have sought to take France out of the EU – Frexit – which would probably have eventually lead to the collapse of the European Union altogether. It would have been 2016 all over again. At least that danger has now been averted, and we can perhaps hope that this news marks the turn of the tide back to some kind of sanity.