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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 19 June 2017

President Macron’s party dominates French parliamentary vote

By ELAINE GANLEY majority to carry out his
SYLVIE CORBET program. Prime Minister
Associated Press Edouard Philippe, a center-
PARIS (AP) — French vot- right politician who joined
ers gave President Em- Macron’s movement, said
manuel Macron’s upstart “through their vote, a wide
party a solid victory in Sun- majority of the French have
day’s parliamentary elec- chosen hope over anger.”
tion, handing the centrist With 82 percent of the vote
a strong mandate to re- counted, the Interior Minis-
shape French politics and try said Macron’s party had
overhaul the country’s re- 42 percent of the vote,
strictive labor laws. the conservative Republi-
Polling agency projections cans had 22 percent and
suggested that Macron’s the far-right National Front
Republic on the Move! captured 10 percent. The
party could take 355 to 365 Socialists, who ruled the na-
seats in the 577-seat Na- tion before Macron’s inde-
tional Assembly, the pow- pendent presidential victo-
erful lower house. That’s ry in May, were decimated
far more than the 289 seats and only won six percent of
needed for an absolute the vote.

French President Emmanuel Macron meets people after voting in the final round of parliamentary
elections, in the northern seaside town of Le Touquet, France, Sunday, June 18, 2017. Voters gave
President Emmanuel Macron’s fledgling party a solid victory in parliamentary elections Sunday,
handing the upstart centrist a strong mandate to overhaul the country’s labor laws, among the
most sensitive issues for the French.
(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Republicans leader Fran- wants France to succeed. their views.
cois Baroin declared his He said conservative law- However, some prickly op-
party the main opposition makers are going to have ponents vowed to do their
and wished Macron “good a strong bloc in the lower best to counter Macron’s
luck” because he said he house to be able to voice plans.

German minister sees hope of ‘soft’ Brexit

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s newspaper that “maybe paign focused on getting
foreign minister says there there is now a chance to back control over laws and
may now be a chance of achieve a so-called ‘soft immigration from the EU.
a “soft” British exit from the Brexit.’” But he said staying Gabriel said “it would natu-
European Union that keeps in the single market would rally be best if Britain didn’t
the U.K. in the bloc’s single require Britain to accept EU leave at all.”
market, but is warning that workers’ freedom of move- “It doesn’t look like that at
Britain couldn’t pick and ment. the moment,” he added.
choose its conditions. It also would have to ac- “But we want to keep the
Brexit negotiations start cept the jurisdiction of the door open for the British.”
on Monday, with question European Court of Justice, The center-left Social Dem-
marks over Britain’s ap- “or at least a joint court ocrat strongly criticized
proach after Prime Minister that is staffed by Europeans May’s Conservatives, say-
Theresa May lost her par- and Britons” and in princi- ing that they “played with
liamentary majority in an ple follows the ECJ’s rulings, the emotions of citizens
election meant to strength- Gabriel said. in Britain, told fake news
en her hand in the talks. For many Brexit advocates, about Europe and left peo-
German Foreign Minister those conditions would be ple unclear about what
Sigmar Gabriel told Sun- impossible to accept as last consequences this would
day’s Welt am Sonntag year’s referendum cam- all have.”