The new president of France, Emmanuel Macron, is young, dynamic and by all accounts extremely clever. This is a good moment for France and ought to encourage all France's allies. Unfortunately, even in the hour of victory there have been voices of doubt and criticism, questioning whether he will succeed with internal reforms, arguing that the French trade unions will obstruct him and that lack of a majority in the French Assembly will make his life impossible.
On the other side of the channel there have also been some British critics, claiming that Macron's European views will make Brexit harder, that he is part of the bankers' elite and not in tune with modern populist aspirations and so on. But these British critics are making a great mistake. Far from sounding negative, the British should be seizing the moment to make new and stronger-than-ever alliances with their French neighbor.
It is true that during the French election campaign Macron made a few unhelpful remarks about "Le Grande Bretagne." But these things get said in the heat of elections. Basically, his aims for reform and reinvigoration of the French economy should receive an unqualified welcome and full support from Britain. France has been badly held back in the recent past with no less than 57 percent of its income being consumed by the state and with unemployment stuck at 10 percent. It should do much better, and where they can the British should assist the new French leader in his reforming struggle.