Macron party unveils names of candidates for France's parliamentary election

Emmanuel Macron's party "Republic on the move" announced on Thursday the names of hundreds of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary election, which the newly-elect French president needs to consolidate his presidency victory.

Out of 19,000 applications to represent the centrist party created in 2016, a list included 428 definite names with 214 are female candidates, said Richard Ferrand, the movement's secretary-general.

Ferrand added half of the contenders who joined the "Republic on the move" party for June election are from civil society and had never held an elected post, Ferrand added.

According to the party's chief, the rest of 148 candidates "are still for discussion," as the party's is seeking to have a large working majority in the National Assembly to empower France's youngest head of state to pass his reforms and implement his economic and social project.

The selection's process was of "unprecedented rigor, objectivity and impartiality under the Fifth Republic" and showed "the citizens' definitive return to the heart of our political life", Ferrand told reporters.

Described as "neither right nor left", the party has no representatives in the country's lower house of parliament.

The absolute majority in the National Assembly is 289 seats out of 577. Enditem