On Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron's party won big in the French parliamentary elections. <\/p>\n
While the second and final round of voting (for candidates who received at least 12.5 percent in the first round) will take place this coming Sunday, it should be a formality. <\/p>\n
After all, the first round results indicate Macron's La Republique En Marche (LREM) Party is likely to win a huge majority. <\/p>\n
And I do mean huge. <\/p>\n
Analysts believe Macron will win between 415 and 445 seats in France's lower house, the National Assembly. With only 577 seats available, that result would give Macron a 126-seat majority. In France's system of government, the National Assembly is far more important than the French Senate. Controlling the lower house would thus give Macron the means to push through the boldest possible reforms. <\/p>\n
That's good news for France. <\/p>\n
Macron is no conservative, but neither is he a socialist. Instead, the president is a realist. He recognizes that France's economy needs an injection of innovation and competition. And he's promising to shake up the nation's labor laws so that businesses find it easier to hire the best workers, and fire the worst. <\/p>\n
Such reform is fundamental to France's future prosperity. Yet for years, various French governments have either been unwilling or unable to take on the unions who oppose reform. Now that may change. With the new Parliament scheduled to sit on June 27, Macron's majority means we should expect action in short order. <\/p>\n
Speaking to Washington Examiner, Benjamin Haddad, a Hudson Institute scholar, outlined Macron's top three priorities. <\/p>\n
\"The first priority, by far, is reforming the labor market. President Macron wants to go fast here, with Parliament giving him authority to use executive orders to expedite the process. Second, Macron will institute a training program to boost the skills of unemployed workers. Third, he plans to reform the European Union with a specific focus on the Eurozone.\" <\/p>\n
Yet none of this will be easy. <\/p>\n
For one, many sectors of the French economy are held captive to powerful interest groups who believe older workers deserve protection against firing. This means that businesses are often unable to hire aspirational young workers and instead are forced to employ unproductive workers. As I've explained, this scandal of anti-youth regulation typifies the supposed utopia of European socialism. As he pares back the power of these interest groups, Macron will face street protests. <\/p>\n
Macron will also have to push the notoriously stubborn German Chancellor Angela Merkel to shake up the European Union. That organization is wasteful, undemocratic, and in desperate need of an overhaul. Macron knows reform is needed in order to prevent future Brexit-style separations. <\/p>\n
Regardless, Macron's electoral win on Sunday should be seen as good news. The Fifth Republic need actions. And now, for the first time, its government stands poised to deliver. <\/p>\n
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Continued here: <\/p>\n
Macron's parliamentary election win is good news for France - Washington Examiner<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron's party won big in the French parliamentary elections. While the second and final round of voting (for candidates who received at least 12.5 percent in the first round) will take place this coming Sunday, it should be a formality. Continue reading