Optimistic outcome ahead for Macron's En Marche

FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron's upstart party, En Marche (Forward), performed strongly in the country's first round legislative elections last Sunday. Should En Marche now continue its success in the final round run-off ballots on June 18, the prospects of Mr Macron's reformist agenda being enacted will increase significantly in the eurozone's second largest economy.

Some 7,782 candidates took part in the first round ballot to select 577 deputies in the lower chamber. Anyone who secured 50 per cent of the vote in a constituency - on a minimum turnout of 25 per cent - won the seat automatically. However, in those many areas where there was no first round victor, run-off elections will be held on June 18 between candidates who secured at least 12.5 per cent of Sunday's vote.

The reason why this month's ballots are more important than usual is because of the governability gap that arose with the presidential victory of independent, centrist Mr Macron last month. In what was the first final round presidential election in the country's modern history that neither of the parties of mainstream centre-right (Republicans) or centre-left (Socialists) managed to qualify, Mr Macron emerged as victor under his party banner (En Marche) that currently has no legislative representation.