text: As for the French elections, Macron is a really good politician.  He did benefit from the chaotic nature of the elections, but part of being a good politician is being able to play the hand dealt you well and he did it brilliantly.  I like how he is able to present an establishment type platform in populist terms.  Plus he is very right that the current French system is protecting the "insiders" and that opening up the French economy and labor market will help the little guy (i.e. consumers and employees.)  The French economy is ridiculously restricted; even very liberal people in the US would probably wonder why the French far left is so upset.  The last Macron law was about stuff like Greyhound bus service, stores open on Sundays, OTC drugs in supermarkets, etc.  None of it was radical.