French President-elect eyes solid parliamentary majority

France’s president-elect, Emmanuel Macron, has begun the battle to win a parliamentary majority in legislative elections next month, the crucial next step if he is to deliver his pro-business policy promises.

Macron secured two-thirds of the votes in a runoff round on Sunday, inflicting a clearer than expected defeat on the National Front candidate and her plan to exit the eurozone and erect protectionist barriers. He acquired more than 66% of the vote against the far-right  Le Pen’s 33.9%.

The pro-European centrist will take office on 14 May promising to overhaul the political system and rewrite labour laws in the hope of bringing down mass unemployment in a country still struggling with weak economic growth.

However, key to his presidency is the two-round National Assembly elections on 11 and 18 June. Macron will only be able to put his strategy into place by gaining the backing of a parliamentary majority and a handpicked, like-minded prime minister. If he does not win an absolute majority he risks being reduced to a mere figurehead, pressured into a form of coalition government, unable to enact plans to ease red tape for businesses and increase welfare protection for the self-employed.

Many of France’s 577 constituencies could face three or four candidates in the second round of voting on June 18 as any candidate with 12.5% of the votes in the first round goes through to the run-off. Meanwhile unions, who oppose Macron’s plans to introduce labour market reforms by governmental decree, may try to test the new president’s authority and inexperience with street protests.

The former economy minister immediately rebranded his fledgling political movement, En Marche! (On the Move!), as La République En Marche (The Republic on the Move) in order to run candidates in every constituency in France in tricky parliamentary elections.

Macron has said his new parliamentary grouping will range from the left to the right, calling it a “family of progressives with French republican values”. He aims to neuter the opposition by luring moderates from both sides of the political spectrum.

“This [parliamentary] majority for change is what the country wants and what it deserves,” Macron told supporters after winning the final vote on Sunday.