France goes to the polls for crunch election that could have a MASSIVE implication on the success of Brexit
Emmanuel Macron’s party could win 425 seats in the National Assembly
FRENCH president Emmanuel Macron was on course for another landslide win as voting today opened in parliamentary elections that will have huge implications for Brexit.
According to final opinion polls, the 39-year-old head of state’s Republique En Marche! (Republic On the Move, or REM) party could win between 395 and 425 seats in the National Assembly.
If the CEVIPOF-Le Monde figures prove correct, then this would be far above the 289 needed to secure an absolute majority.
This secure mandate would be hugely advantageous to the fiercely pro-EU Mr Macron in the run up to Brexit negotiations.
This contrasts with the relatively chaotic situation in the UK, where no majority government has emerged following Thursday's General Election.
Mr Macron has described the prospect of the UK leaving the EU as "a crime", and in talks with Prime Minister Theresa May last month insisted: "The EU will be united in Brexit negotiations".
He would rather see a so-calle "Hard Brexit" - including UK leaving the European Single Market – rather than conceding advantages to an exiting state.
Around 47 million voters are eligible to vote in France today following Mr Macron becoming his country’s youngest ever president on May 7th.
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REM currently has no seats at all, because it was only founded last year, but with established parties in disarray, it is proving extremely popular.
The Socialist Party is in chaos following five years of disastrous administration by President Francois Hollande.
Sleaze has meanwhile dominated the opposition Republicans Party, the current name for the Gaullist conservatives who have formed numerous governments in the post-war period.
The Republicans candidate for president was Francois Fillon, an indicted criminal suspect who still faces trial over a fake jobs scandal with his British-born wife, Penelope Fillon.
Far-Right firebrand Marine Le Pen was runner-up in the presidential election, and she is hoping her National Front (FN) will add to the two seats they had in the last parliament.
Ms Le Pen has been trying to become an MP since 1993, without success, but is hoping for a change in fortune in the northern constituency of Henin-Beumont.
Polling stations opened at 8am, and will close at 8pm. Unless a candidate records 50% plus majority in each seat, he or she will move on to a second round run-off next week.
Earlier this month Macron trolled Donald Trump after the US ripped up its climate change obligations – urging Americans to: “Make our planet great again!”
The new European leader stepped up his war with the US president – after the world reacted with fury at Trump’s stunning decision to pull out of the Paris Accord.
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