Paris, June 11: French voters go to the polls Sunday in the first round of parliamentary elections with President Emmanuel Macron’s party appearing well-placed to gain a commanding majority.
Macron has enjoyed a smooth start in the five weeks since he beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to become France’s youngest-ever President, naming a cabinet that crosses left-right lines and making a big impression at international summits.
His centrist Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) party, which he only founded in April 2016 as a platform for his presidential bid, now needs a clear majority in the National Assembly for him to push through the reforms he has promised.
A host of opinion polls show Macron’s party could take around 30 per cent of the vote today, putting it in pole position to secure an absolute majority in the second round a week later.
That could translate to as many as 400 seats in the 577-seat chamber. REM has already had a boost after its candidates came first in 10 of the 11 French overseas constituencies that voted before the mainland.
If no candidate wins over 50 per cent in the first round, the two top-placed go into the second round – as well as any candidate who won the votes of over 12.5 per cent of the electorate. AFP
