Hello, my name is David Runseman and this is Talking Politics.

And I'm delighted to welcome Michael Gove, who's in Cambridge to talk about his vision

of Europe post Brexit.

We're speaking on Friday afternoon, so the results of the local elections, many of them

are in and it looks very good for the Conservative Party, but we're not going to speak about that

although we may allude to what might be coming down the line.

We've spent a lot of time as regular listeners will know on this podcast, talking about the

French presidential election.

I think we can assume at this point on Friday before the Sunday that Mr Macron is going

to win.

And Michael, in that broader question about what the future of Europe might be post Brexit,

how much difference do you think a Macron presidency might make given that he's a reformer,

but he's also a passionate pro-European pro-European union?

I think Macron is a fascinating figure, David, and I think that I agree with you, he's

almost certain to win.

I think that if Marine Le Pen had an opportunity, he was in the television debate earlier this

week, and he more than held his own, and I think she also showed a vulnerability, particularly

actually, on economics, but also in the way in which he meant to depict her as a harbinger

of division, rather than a unifier, which is what she's tried to be, of course, in the

last 10 to 12 days.

Now, assuming Macron wins, which I do, I think that he will both be a radical departure,

but also a symbol of continuity.

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