PARIS — Emmanuel Macron’s new party is on course to secure an historic majority in parliament after the first round of France’s legislative elections, turbo-charging the French president’s chances of driving through crucial economic reforms. Defying expectations that his new political party would struggle to wrest control of parliament from the traditional Right and Left, early exit polls suggested Mr Macron’s La République En Marche (REM) party, along with its centrist Modem allies, was on course to win around 33 per cent of the vote. If no candidate wins over 50 per cent, the two top-placed contenders go into the second round -- along with any other candidate who garners at least 12.5 per cent of registered voters in the district.
Voters in France return to the polls after last month's presidential election for the first round of a legislative election, to begin choosing the 577 members of France's lower house. Opinion polls and exit polls predict that En Marche!, formed by newly elected President Emmanuel Macron, will pick up a majority of seats.