Macron sweats on left's election clout

PARIS－France began voting in the final round of parliamentary elections on Sunday, with centrist President Emmanuel Macron's coalition looking to hold off a challenge from a newly formed left-wing alliance.

In last week's first vote, the left, under Jean-Luc Melenchon, made a surprisingly strong showing, sending jitters through Macron's allies.

They feared that a strong showing from Melenchon's coalition on Sunday could turn Macron into a shackled second-term leader, one who spends his time bargaining with politicians and with major limits placed on his ability to rule.

Elections were being held nationwide to select the 577 members of the National Assembly, the most powerful branch of France's Parliament. In Sunday's parliamentary runoff, voter turnout was 19 percent at midday.

Though Macron's centrist alliance was projected to win the most seats, observers forecast that it could fall short of maintaining its majority, 289 seats. In this case, a new coalition composed of the hard left, the Socialists and the Greens may be forged, one which could make Macron harder because the lower house of parliament is key in making laws.

Macron made a powerfully choreographed plea to voters last week before he left on a trip to Romania and Ukraine, warning that an inconclusive election, or hung parliament, would put the country in danger.

"In these troubled times, the choice you'll make this Sunday is more crucial than ever," he said on Tuesday, with the presidential plane waiting starkly in the background before he departed to visit French troops stationed near Ukraine.

"Nothing would be worse than adding French disorder to the world's disorder," he said.

Following Macron's reelection last month his centrist coalition has been aiming for a parliamentary majority that would enable him to implement his campaign promises, which include tax cuts and raising France's retirement age from 62 to 65. Before voting began, hope for his camp remained: Polling agencies estimated that his centrists could ultimately win from 255 to more than 300 seats, and that the leftist coalition Melenchon leads could win more than 200 seats.

In the lead-up to the second round, many acknowledged a less than desirable outcome for Macron's party.

"The disappointment was clear on the night of the first round for the presidential party leaders," said Martin Quencez, a political analyst at The German Marshall Fund of the United States.

If Macron fails to gain a majority, it will not simply affect France's domestic politics, but could also have ramifications across Europe. Analysts predict that Macron will have to spend the rest of his term focusing more on his domestic agenda than his foreign policy.

Agencies - Xinhua