Le Pen sends a message to Europe AFTER a dismal result in the local elections in March, President François Hollande’s Socialists are steeling themselves for more bad news in the European elections. Their goal had been to beat the 16% they got in 2009, barely ahead of the Greens. Now some have lowered the bar, hoping merely to do better than in 1994 when, under Michel Rocard, the Socialists secured just 14.5%.The latest polls suggest that Mr Hollande’s party will come third, with no more than 16-18%. Few incumbent European governments have a worse rating. Even the British Conservatives, whom the polls suggest will also come third, are on 22%. Other governments, notably in Germany and Italy, are in the lead. Why is Mr Hollande doing so badly?The answer is a mix of economic disappointment and political error. Growth stalled in the first quarter, dragged down by a 0.5% drop in consumer spending. This is worse than the euro average, and contrasts with a strong quarter in Germany and Britain. Unemployment remains high, at 10%. Another 23,600 private-sector jobs were lost in the first quarter. Such economic fragility has sapped confidence, the…
