Former PM Valls endorses Macron for French presidency

Paris

FRANCE'S former prime minister Manuel Valls endorsed the presidential bid of centrist Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, the most high-profile Socialist to back the ex-banker over their party's nominee. His support for Mr Macron, which had been expected, is another boost for the reformist liberal, who left Mr Valls's Socialist government last year to form his own political movement, which he says is "neither right nor left".

The first round of the election is on April 23, with Mr Macron and far-right leader Mar…