Macron’s party on course for winning parliamentary polls in France

French voters cast ballots on Sunday in the final round of parliamentary elections that could clinch President Emmanuel Macron’s hold on power.

Pollsters say that after its dominant performance in last week’s first-round vote, Macron’s Republic on the Move! party could win up to 450 seats Sunday in the 577-seat National Assembly, the powerful lower chamber.

If the steamroller effect continues, half of whose candidates are women and the other half new to politics, France will have a chamber of representatives like few others, fulfilling the president’s wish to renew a political class dominated by career politicians, peppered with corruption and losing credibility. The strong mandate would also give the 39-year-old a free hand to move fast with promised legislation, notably on changing labour laws to make hiring and firing easier.

Less than half the 47.5 millionstrong electorate turned out to vote last Sunday, a record low that especially punished the once-feared far-right National Front party.