Eyebrows raised at Macron party chief

FRENCH president Emmanuel Macron yesterday asked a high-profile minister embroiled in a property deal controversy to lead his party in parliament, a day after his party won an absolute majority in legislative elections.

Richard Ferrand, the territorial cohesion minister who led Mr Macron’s presidential campaign, has faced controversy since he was placed under preliminary investigation over allegations of nepotism just as the government was preparing a Bill to clean up French politics.

At the time, prime minister Edouard Philippe insisted he would only be forced to step down if he was charged or failed to win a parliamentary seat.

On Sunday, Mr Ferrand, 54, who insists he has done nothing wrong, clinched his seat in Brittany with 56 per cent of the vote, and has not been charged.

Political analysts said that Mr Ferrand’s job leading La République en Marche! was not a demotion per se as it won a sweeping majority, taking 350 of 577 seats with its centrist allies.

However, some said the change was a pre-emptive move to protect the government should he be placed under formal investigation.

The conservative Republicans and their allies became the main opposition group in parliament, winning 136 seats.