Across the West, 2016 was a year of election defeats for the hegemonic liberal order — mostly to the benefit of the far right. Brexit and the Trump victory seemed to portend a collapse of the political mainstream. Yet with Geert Wilders’ failure to make a breakthrough in March’s Dutch elections and Emmanuel Macron’s resounding victory over Marine Le Pen in May’s French contest, pundits have begun to identify signs that the center is indeed holding.

At face value, the results of the French parliamentary elections epitomize this recovery. Macron’s En Marche! vehicle and its liberal allies MoDem won 350 of the 577 seats, and his government will also enjoy the support of a breakaway group of 38 center-right MPs.

Meanwhile the far-right Front National won just eight seats. This comfortable victory provides Macron and his ministers with a sizeable majority.