There are a lot of significant elections in Europe this year — including Britain’s contest in May. It’s fitting, then, that today’s “Republican march” of national unity in Paris morphed into a display of “European solidarity” — or, spelling it out more accurately, of solidarity between European political leaders facing angry electorates.

Where better, then, for conservative Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to roll up as part of his desperate election campaign to stave off victory by Syriza. His presence underlines the political chicanery with which the European elites have responded to the Charlie Hebdo atrocity.

The march began to run into the political rapids two days ago when Nicolas Sarkozy and the center-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) called on Socialist Party president François Hollande to include Marine Le Pen and her far-right National Front in the parade.