By Arnold Puech d'Alissac, EESC Employers' Group Vice-President

When he was first elected president of France in 2017, Emmanuel Macron immediately became a standard-bearer for radical centrism. But this time, considering the current geopolitics and national situation, he ran not so much on his aspirations for the radical centre, but on his record as a true reformer, on his vision for world affairs, and as a leader who has reinvigorated French politics. The final election results, however, show a clearly divided and fragmented country, much more so than in 2017.

How can we give hope back to French citizens and make sure that next time around we will not see a Marine Le Pen pretending even more to represent the centre of the political spectrum? The answer is simple: Upward social mobility. Macron has to focus on the underprivileged and give them real prospects of climbing the economic and social ladder.

We are going to have a third round of polls - the legislative elections - which will take place in June. The system, as it's set up, has always delivered positive results for presidents, and I'm not worried at all for Macron here: there will be a strong majority, because there's not enough cohesive opposition on the left or on the right.

And if Les Républicains want to save themselves, they will have to do things a bit differently, particularly on the major issues that have been plaguing France, the deficits and the Stability and Growth Pact. That would pave the way to prosperity and hope.

We must carry out reforms in our country, especially on pensions, where the system is marred by deep inequalities between the public and private sectors. Things are stuck on that front. And if you look at everything President Macron has done over the past five years, there are many reforms he wasn't able to implement. A big test of his second term will be the reforms he will be able to carry out.

Reforms will be very difficult. We're closely knit to the EU and the revision of the Stability and Growth Pact might help us change things.  When it comes to Europe, I think Macron is a good ally and he will continue to follow that path. Finally, he's aligning himself with the German government's proposal by designating two ministers who will be in charge of the environmental transition.

The road ahead for Mr Macron is paved with obstacles and challenges, but as this is his second term of office we hope that he has learned the lessons of the first term.