'Neither Macron nor Le Pen', the rallying cry of disillusioned French students

[DFW]

12. Alors: STOP RUNNING BUREAUCRATS AS CANDIDATES!

But of course, they won't.

The rigidly ideological French left is partially responsible for Le Pen's success, so their complaints fall on deaf ears with me. I'm there once a week for work, have been for decades, speak the language close to fluently, and have LOTS of friends there.

Macron is the only choice here. The French need to find a sensible center-left candidate NOW, start grooming him/her for next time, preferably NOT from the ranks of the current bureaucracy. If they don't, they will be singing the same tune during the next presidential election campaign.