Is a center-left alliance possible only in Paris?

Will the outcome of the elections in France and the UK trigger a wave of support for progressive forces across Europe as a whole? There are some important differences between the two countries that need to be noted. In the UK, extreme populism and promises of magical solutions were tried and they failed dismally. In France, the threat of a far-right government activated the reflexes of centrist and leftist political forces, which achieved a remarkable turnaround by working together.

Here in Greece, it was only to be expected that the result of the French election would rekindle discussions about the prospects of cooperation in the center-left so as to mount a more effective challenge to the dominance of the ruling New Democracy conservatives. What is interesting about this discussion is all the different interpretations expressed by the interested parties, officials from...