Macron's Missteps Could Prove Costly

In politics, holding the center ground might be a useful strategy for winning elections, but rarely for generating enthusiasm. Emmanuel Macron’s favorability ratings just dropped seven points, to a low 36 percent, according to a recent poll for the HuffPost and CNews. If he's not careful, Macron may repeat the mistakes of Francois Hollande, his mentor and predecessor.

Macron's victory was spectacular, given that he won both the presidency and control of parliament from his position outside France's main political parties. But it was not widely endorsed: He won more thanks to voters’ rejection of alternatives, such as the far-right Marine Le Pen and the scandal-plagued conservative François Fillon, than through a real popular groundswell.