French elections: Macron's party buoyant but turnout slumps

emmanuel Macron's fledging centrist party La République En Marche has launched a drive to get voters out in the second round of the French parliamentary elections after its very strong first round showing was marred by a record low turnout.

"France is back," the prime minister, Édouard Philippe, declared triumphantly after first round voting on Sunday put La REM on course for a crushing victory and an overwhelming parliamentary majority, as the traditional parties that once dominated French politics took a drubbing. Less than half of voters cast their ballots, however, raising fears that the president's mandate could be weakened by a lack of participation.

Macron's movement and its smaller ally MoDem are projected to be within reach of as many as three-quarters of the 577 seats in parliament. Projections show it could take between 400 and 445, which would be one of the biggest majorities in the modern French state. The scale of the potential landslide demonstrates the extent to which Macron, a newcomer to party politics, has managed to transform the French political landscape in record time. Sixteen months ago, La REM didn't exist. Now it is set to dominate legislation and win a vast injection of subsidies.

Other political figures were wary of Macron's expected parliamentary monopoly. Alain Juppé, the centre-right mayor of Bordeaux, said "having a monochrome parliament is never good for democratic debate". It was not clear how opposition parties would be able to stem much of Macron's advance in Sunday's final round. Government spokesman Christophe Castaner said the 49% turnout - the lowest for six decades in a parliamentary vote - was "a failure of this election". Macron's camp immediately said it would need to reach out to those who stayed away.