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Xinhua News Agency/PA Images

French elections: Macron on the way to overwhelming majority

Macron has enjoyed a smooth start in the five weeks since he beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Updated at 7.56pm

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL Macron’s party topped the first round of voting in today’s parliamentary elections, putting him on course for an overwhelming majority to implement his programme of ambitious reforms.

Estimates based on partial results showed Macron’s year-old Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) and its ally MoDem on 32.2-32.9%, ahead of the right-wing Republicans on 20.9-21.5%. The far-right National Front (FN) was seen third with 13.1-14%.

Seat projections showed Macron’s camp going on to win between 390 and 445 seats in the 577-member National Assembly after next Sunday’s second round – continuing his centrist revolution which has left France’s traditional parties in tatters.

Both the Republicans – who had hoped to upstage Macron in the parliamentary election — and the Socialists of Macron’s predecessor Francois Hollande appeared set for steep losses.

Disappointment

Marine Le Pen’s FN party was left disappointed as she struggles to rebound from her bruising defeat by Macron in the presidential run-off, with the party’s result largely unchanged from the first round of the 2012 vote.

Turnout was markedly down on Sunday compared with the last parliamentary election, reflecting a degree of fatalism among Macron’s opponents in the face of his advance as well as a degree of election fatigue, experts said.

Around 49% of the electorate cast a ballot – one of the lowest levels in such an election in decades.

The results showed Macron continuing to impress the French, a month after being elected France’s youngest-ever president on 7 May.

Since then he has won praise for appointing a balanced cabinet that straddles the left-right divide and taking a leading role in Europe’s fight-back against US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from a global climate accord.

If the seat projections are confirmed next week he will have a strong mandate to push through the ambitious labour, economic and social reforms he promised on the campaign trail.

Few MPs are expected to be elected outright today.

If no candidate wins over 50%, the two top-placed contenders go into the second round — along with any other candidate who garners at least 12.5 percent of registered voters.

More than 50,000 police were on patrol during the vote, with France still jittery after a wave of jihadist attacks across Europe.

© – AFP, 2017

Read: In the age of Trump, two American newspapers are flying the flag for hard news journalism

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    Mute Cathal S Byrne
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:10 AM

    A europhile with a strong majority is not going to be good for the peoples of Europe.

    234
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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:23 AM

    @Cathal S Byrne: why?

    140
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    Mute Cathal S Byrne
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:36 AM

    @Matt Connolly: because he will push and cheerlead the federalisation of Europe. That’s why.

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    Mute Shane Moynihan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:06 AM

    @Cathal S Byrne: Macron and Merkel are nothing but a disaster. When will they ever learn that open borders and multiculturalism will only bring pain and suffering to innocent civilians

    135
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:43 AM

    @Cathal S Byrne: like the rest you will be pulled kicking and screaming into the future. I’m loving Maccron and am just jealous that we don’t have someone similar.

    119
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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:43 AM

    @Shane Moynihan: The opposite of multiculturalism being a closed off isolated society. We tried that here and we are still living with the consequences…no thanks!

    100
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    Mute michael
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:50 AM

    And division and hatred won’t bring misery? It worked out great in NI for decades.

    65
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    Mute Shane Moynihan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:59 AM

    @michael: You’re right, these radicals do hate the Western culture and way of life…

    53
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    Mute Patrick Cat
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    Jun 11th 2017, 10:12 AM

    @Ricky Spanish: We will be living with far more drastic consequences imaginable due to Islamisation than being isolated society. Multiculturalism yes, but as long is it shares the same western values, unlike the ultimate (!) opposition of Islam

    59
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 10:23 AM

    @Deborah Behan:
    Not often we agree on something. I thought at one stage that SD might be it, would have voted for them in the last election if there had been a candidate in my area, but now I don’t know.

    11
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    Mute Shane Moynihan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 12:52 PM

    @Peedur Dante: Thanks Peeder

    9
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:15 PM

    @Cathal S Byrne: The fact the both Trump and Putin hate the EU can only mean it must be the best thing since sliced bread.

    30
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 10:06 PM

    @P.J. Nolan: funnily same. I like SD as well. We cannot afford the pay increase s to our public services which I am a member of but would prefer if the money went towards improving services. A fiver a week will not make me but collectively it may make a big difference to our elderly or sick.

    10
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    Mute John Considine
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    Jun 11th 2017, 11:10 PM

    @Shane Moynihan: The only grip the savages have on our society is the way in which they have infected people like your good self with a sort of paranoid cowardice that causes you to abandon the ideals and values that you profess to want to protect.

    There are only 2 cultures in conflict here, violent criminality and civility, the rest is only detail. And I’m not scared of criminals, with their cheap media-grabbing outrages, proselytising ideas that have been bankrupt since the Renaissance. They have no future unless they can scare people like you into surrendering it to them. F*ck them, life goes on, I will change nothing to appease the barbarian.

    13
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    Mute Davin Ryan
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    Jun 12th 2017, 12:36 AM

    @Cathal S Byrne: ….

    1
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    Mute Tony Daly
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:54 AM

    Better Macron and his supporters than the alternatives.

    The priority is to prevent the rise of fascism.

    191
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    Mute Shane Moynihan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:10 AM

    @Tony Daly: Where did I hear that fascism quip before ? You liberals are like a broken record haha get a life

    170
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    Mute Awkward Seal
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:44 AM

    I would say the priority is to end the rise of Islamofascism, ISIS and Islamic terrorism as this has an actual body count. I hope Macron can do it but I’m not going to hold my breath. Perhaps the right can’t do it either but at least they seem to be taking the issue more seriously.

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    Mute michael
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:46 AM

    You may have heard it in the 20th century history of Europe

    21
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    Mute Patrick Cat
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    Jun 11th 2017, 10:05 AM

    @Awkward Seal: I hope for the good people of France, Macron will reinvigorate the policies on refugees first and foremost

    13
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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Jun 11th 2017, 11:52 AM

    Tony Daly: Maybe by the end of the century our children will be seeing on the map the Islamic Republics of Belgium, Holland and France. Is that the fascism you are referring to?

    52
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    Mute Cynical
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    Jun 11th 2017, 1:58 PM

    @Shane Moynihan: I’m surprised you haven’t been linking little green frog pictures to prove your point.

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    Mute Shane Moynihan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 3:31 PM

    @Cynical: I was wondering when you would show up Francis

    12
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    Mute Shane Moynihan
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    Jun 12th 2017, 2:21 AM

    @Awkward Seal: It’s true man, Trump’s travel ban is a step in the right direction. Once it’s fully implemented then the States will be 100℅ safe from Islamic terror attacks

    4
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    Mute Francis Mc Carthy
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    Jun 12th 2017, 7:34 AM

    @Shane Moynihan: “Once it’s fully implemented then the States will be 100% safe from Islamic terror attacks” –

    You are so adorable..that’s all..

    1
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    Mute Ian Phillip Creaner
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    Jun 12th 2017, 7:47 AM

    @Shane Moynihan: And the alt-right come up with something unique and shiny new every news blip. What’s that I hear. The 1930s are calling for ya there.

    1
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    Mute The Thinker
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    Jun 11th 2017, 10:16 AM

    Macron has been quite impressive so far. Keep up the good work!

    102
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    Mute Brinster
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:27 PM

    @The Thinker: Since Trump, there has been a huge shift from both fringes across Europe back to the centre ground.

    Hard Left and Hard Right have lost ground massively, as the centre has regained preeminence.

    UK – UKIP obliterated, Labour gain most.
    Austria – Far right defeated
    Netherlands – Geert Wilders fails to get any traction
    France – Le Pen and Marchenaud both lose as people flock to Macron
    Germany – Merkel’s party leading polls by 15 points

    31
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    Mute Brinster
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    Jun 11th 2017, 11:26 PM

    @Brinster: Forgot Italy – populist M5S all but wiped out in local elections this week.

    8
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    Mute Mumpsimus
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    Jun 11th 2017, 12:23 PM

    Just another one of Merkels minions. Ever since France surrendered during ww2 they contine to do it up to today. Europe is been ruled and ruined by one country for its own gain. Germany! Why don’t the others see that?. Time for countries to rule that actually value European values.

    74
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    Mute ianglen
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    Jun 11th 2017, 7:52 AM

    Theresa May might learn something from this

    65
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    Mute John003
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:20 PM

    Macron has promised to cut 120,000 civil service jobs…Also to cut public spending by €60 billion with series of austerity budgets….Some centre left candidate….Makes Teresa May seem like a hard left socialist…

    40
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:01 PM

    @John003: He has also promised to triple the size of the DGSI France’s version of MI5 and to double the Police Budget for Anti Terrorism.

    13
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    Mute Carl Ingalls
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:19 PM

    Essentially there’s nothing new in Macron’s economic plan.
    Similar policy to François Hollande.

    29
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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Jun 11th 2017, 10:04 PM

    Yes there is, he wants to finally break the power of the trade unions. Nothing wrong with these as such, but in France they’re holding the country back like Britain in the 80s, and making it the sick man of Europe. So in a sense he wants to be France’s Thatcher.

    Good luck with that though. Industrial action is a way of life for the French.

    11
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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Jun 11th 2017, 1:42 PM

    If REM wins an outright majority, it will be the end of French politics as we know it.

    28
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    Mute Jay Warner
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:13 PM

    @Alex Marquis: who knows… The French air traffic controllers and truck drivers may actually work this summer rather than have their annual summer holiday (I mean “Industrial Disputes”) for once? That would be a welcome end to those French politics

    32
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    Mute Thinck
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    Jun 11th 2017, 8:52 PM

    @Alex Marquis:

    Be interesting to see how Michael Stipe gets on all the same

    16
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    Mute Malachy
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    Jun 12th 2017, 12:15 AM

    This is good. Europe needs stability injection. Were are all in it.

    5
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    Mute Johnnathan Biskalero
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    Jun 12th 2017, 8:42 AM

    @Malachy: Ex Rothschild Banker……enough said….

    1
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    Mute alphanautica
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    Jun 12th 2017, 7:05 AM

    Bad news for Putin and Trump: we need a weak, divided Europe if it is going to be dismantled successfully. We must encourage extreme left and extreme right politics to break up the EU.
    The US, Russia and China should be the sole world powers.

    The rise of EU cohesion and its peaceful integration mission threatens that.

    2
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    Mute declan leonard
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:27 PM

    Jesus Christ,this shxit is still you going on?

    2
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:39 PM

    @declan leonard: This the Parliamentary election. The previous one was the Presidential election.

    5
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    Mute Shane Moynihan
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    Jun 11th 2017, 9:50 PM

    Can someone translate for Declan please, I don’t understand gibberish

    9
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