To his opponents, Emmanuel Macron is a "president of the rich" or a panderer to Islamophobes. If the polls are right, and he nevertheless wins reelection this month, they'll insist it was due to the weakness of his opponents.
That is at best half the story.
The French left is hopelessly divided, the centre-right is weak, and many centre-left, as well as centre-right voters, would prefer Macron if the alternative is Marine Le Pen.
But the president also has genuine fans. Th...
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Nick Ottens is the editor of the transatlantic opinion website Atlantic Sentinel and a columnist for the Netherlands' Wynia’s Week.