Macron's youth party wins big in French parliamentary elections

The Republic on the Move (LREM), the newly formed youth party of incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, won a resounding victory in the first round of the French National Assembly election on June 11.

French President Emmanuel Macron is showing the undeniable appeal of young people like him in French political life - Photo: Reuters

Reuters news agency quoted an announcement from the French Interior Ministry saying that up to now, based on 90% of the votes counted, Mr. Macron's LREM party has won with 31.9% of the votes in favor.

Meanwhile, the Republicans (LR), a major party, came in second with 18.9%. The National Front party of Ms. Le Pen Marine won 13.8% of the votes, followed by the Socialist Party with 7.45%.

This House of Representatives election also recorded a record low voter turnout when 51.2% of registered voters did not vote.

According to Ipos forecast, LREM will win between 415 and 455 seats out of a total of 577, far exceeding the absolute majority in the House of Representatives, while LR will win between 70 and 110 seats. Franes 24 TV station commented that if the official results are announced, LREM will be the party holding the highest absolute majority in the French House of Representatives since the Second World War.

In fact, LREM and its members are confident in their appeal to the French people. Despite the fact that more than 50% of voters did not turn out to vote, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (appointed by Mr. Macron) declared victory for LREM.

"Millions of you have once again affirmed your commitment to the president's desire for renewal," Mr. Philippe emphasized.

The head of the French government declared that “France is back”, and pledged to quickly push through bold reforms in the fields of labor protection and security policy. According to Mr. Philippe, voters sent a clear message in the first round of the French National Assembly elections that they wanted a National Assembly with “a new face”.

Ballot boxes were opened and counted overnight after the last polling station closed at 10 p.m. (local time). Photo: Reuters

Former President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party, which accounts for more than half of the outgoing parliamentarians, won only 20-30 seats. Socialist Party President Jean-Christophe Cambadelis even lost his seat in parliament. This was an "unprecedented" defeat for the Socialist Party, as Mr. Cambadelis himself admitted.

This result shows that French politics is being reshaped with a new correlation between political forces in which the Republic on the Move party, founded more than a year ago, is holding a central position. Observers say that the attraction of young people like Mr. Macron and the LREM party is undeniable.

The two traditional parties, the Socialist Party and the Republicans, which have taken turns in power in France for nearly 60 years, have suffered heavy defeats. It can be said that President Macron has passed the important "test", paving the way to implement the "change" platform to build a brighter future for France and the French people.

The second round of voting will be held on June 18 as no party won more than 50% of the vote. Some experts believe that turnout may improve slightly.

According to Tuoi Tre