Macron still aiming high

Emmanuel Macron's speech at the Sorbonne in Paris this week, like the one on the Pnyx, was courageous, remarkably visionary but also incredibly tactical. The question now is whether he is able to rally not only Germany but also the rest of Europe behind his ambitious agenda.

Far from retreating following the German elections, Macron decided to double down, realizing the importance of momentum and of weighing as the negotiations to form the next German government get under way. He laid out a plan for deep institutional reforms to strengthen Europe's executive powers and upgrade its democratic accountability.

But in order for these plans to work, Macron will have to overcome several critical challenges. German resistance is deep, and over the last few years its nature has profoundly changed.

In his speech, Macron described the Franco-German disagreement on...