French ex-PM Valls wants to join Macron’s movement

Valls, a centre-leaning politician in favour of relaxing France’s tight labour protections, could not even win his own Socialist party’s presidential primary, losing to Benoit Hamon. After that, he threw his support to Macron before the presidential election.

Hamon came in a distant fifth in the first round of France’s presidential election, capturing just over 6 per cent of the vote, the Socialist Party’s worst result since 1969. The poor result has triggered a fierce debate within the Socialists about whether to stick with Hamon’s left-wing platform or to switch back to the more centrist views of Valls and his allies.

Socialist Party official Jean-Christophe Cambadelis stressed Tuesday that it is “impossible” to remain a Socialist party member and run for office under the Republic on the Move banner.

“If some (people) want to leave and go apart, they can do so and let us work,” he said.

Valls said Macron’s victory Sunday over far-right leader Marine Le Pen it was a blow to populism across Europe that gave a “terrific” image of France to countries abroad.

“The old parties are dying or are already dead,” Valls said. “I’m not living with regrets. I want Emmanuel Macron, his government and his majority to succeed, for France. I will be a candidate in the presidential majority and I wish to join his movement, the Republic on the Move.”

Macron has said he is aiming for an absolute majority in the lower chamber in June’s elections. If so, he’ll be able to choose a prime minister. If another party wins a majority, Macron could be pressured to choose a prime minister from that party.

If Macron’s party performs poorly, he could also be forced to form a coalition government, a common occurrence in many European countries but something very unusual in France.

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Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.

Samuel Petrequin, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

French ex-PM Valls wants to join Macron’s movement

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