WIN MAJORITY
many observers were predicting just weeks ago might struggle to win a majority.
Philippe is a conservative in Macron’s government of left and right that the 39-year-old centrist assembled in a bid to break with decades of tribalist left-right politics.
The prime minister’s party, the Republicans, complained yesterday that such domination could be harmful.
“I don’t think it would be healthy for the democratic debate over the next five years,” said Francois Baroin, who is leading the Republicans in the election.
Le Pen’s National Front, meanwhile, could struggle to gain 15 seats nationally, a score that would be an additional humiliation for the anti-EU Le Pen after she was soundly beaten by Macron in the presidential election.
Polls appear to suggest that Macron is in tune with the wishes of French voters to see deep changes to the political class. Many of his party’s 530 candidates come from civil society and have never run for office.
Macron’s reform agenda is broad. The key plank is to build on an overhaul of the labour market that the previous Socialist government began — measures that brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets last year.
The government has said it planned to fast-track legislation through Parliament using executive decrees in a country where many see the cost of hiring and firing as a brake on growth.
Macron and Philippe have already held talks with the unions about their proposed reforms, without revealing much of their hand. AFP