Here we are in the aftermath of a major election in a Western country, and nobody is suggesting that the end of the world is imminent. That's refreshing, isn't it? Makes for a nice change. Sure, Emmanuel Macron is the smooth, suggestive face of the centrist consensus, a former investment banker who is highly unlikely to solve the myriad challenges of injustice and inequality, but most of us would sacrifice a beloved family member to live under the soothing oppression of neoliberalism at this point, as opposed to the grinding jackboot of some frothing nationalist demagogue.Our political expectations have been lowered by the events of the last couple years to the extent that many of us would now vote for a century of well-meaning, middle-of-the-road drudgery, as long as we could avoid some smug, euphemised far-right doctrine borne up on the three pillars of fear, misinformation, and 'Reem memes with a right-wing theme'. Give us a thousand Emmanuel Macrons, as long as we can go back to a world where YouTubers aren't given political credence and Pepe the Frog is an innocent cartoon amphibian. Give us a thousand Emmanuel Macrons, and we will spoon down our centrist gruel with something resembling genuine gratitude.If Macron has, for the moment, managed to stop a group of menacing right-wingers in their tracks, then we can perhaps trace his success back to his time as an amateur footballer. According to reports in France, between 2004 and 2007 Macron was officially registered with l'ENA, a team competing in a Parisian regional league and representing the Ecole Nationale d'Administration. A self-confessed Olympique de Marseille fan, Macron's interest in the beautiful game seems to be more sincere than that of the British political establishment. What's more, in an appropriate twist of fate, he used to play as a left-back, no doubt frustrating his opponents on the right with a combination of robust tackling and moderate rhetoric. As in football, so in politics, and long may the more progressive gameplan prevail.
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