For Macron In France, The Hard Part Is Just Beginning

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron won a decisive victory here in France on Sunday, defeating the far-right National Front's Marine Le Pen by 32 points. As a candidate who just over a year ago had no party, no political operation and was still serving in the Socialist president's government, this is an astounding feat.

Unfortunately for Macron, the election seems to have been the easy part. When he is officially sworn in as France's president this weekend, he will face immense challenges in actually trying to implement any of the agenda items he campaigned on.

That starts next month with France's legislative elections, held in mid-June. While running as the head of a brand-new movement, En Marche! ("On the Move!"), may have been good optics in an anti-establishment year, it means Macron will start from scratch when it comes to candidates in each of the country's 577 legislative constituencies. In order to get a majority, he'll most likely have to create a coalition with one or more other parties–or if other parties win a majority, could face an opposition parliament.

There was a collective sigh of relief heard across the Western world Sunday night when Macron won–but whether he will actually have the political capital and capability to govern effectively is still an open question.