#Legislatives2017: Macron's En Marche wins huge majority

Polling organization Ispos France estimates that President Macron’s En Marche party, formed only 14 months ago has won a landslide with 319 of 577 seats, writes Catherine Feore.

Turnout was low. Nevertheless, Macron has a commanding mandate that gives him the majority he needs to push through difficult labour reforms.

The French economy is forecast to gently accelerate, as a pick-up in world trade helps strengthen exports after a weak 2016. Unemployment is set to continue its gradual decline, but it is still high and youth unemployment is still extremely high at over 20%. Previously students have resisted reforms that were aimed at improving their access to employment. The mood appears to have changed with a recognition that the market has to become more flexible.

Many of the new En Marche assembly members will be lacking in political experience, but Macron can call on some very experienced politicians to help navigate reforms.

Macron has already met with France’s powerful union leaders to discuss his proposals which include make hiring and firing easier and to move France's collective bargaining on wages and working time from industry to company level. Macron is also proposing a cap on severance packages awarded by industrial tribunals.

Front National eclipsed

Marine Le Pen’s ‘Front National’ is estimated to win just eight seats, which is nothing short of a total rout. It is hard to believe that only a month ago that she had won enough votes to reach the second stage of the presidential elections. Since then she has had to eat a lot of humble pie and recognised that her views on leaving the Euro and renegotiating EU membership were not vote winners in France. Her seat in the national assembly means that she will have to stand down as a member of the European Parliament where she has been accused of fraud.

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