- Title: Macron takes aim at lawmakers in mould-breaking manifesto
- Date: 2nd March 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 2, 2017) (REUTERS) FRENCH INDEPENDENT CENTRIST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, EMMANUEL MACRON, ARRIVING FOR MEETING AND WALKING TO STAGE
- Embargoed: 16th March 2017 11:04
- Keywords: Macron programme manifesto campaign parliament France presidential election
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001669OHMV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Presidential challenger Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (March 2) promised to reform France's parliamentary rules forbidding lawmakers to employ relatives or close relations, a response to the alleged financial fraud scandals affecting his opponents' campaigns.
Macron, a former investment banker running as an independent centrist, is favourite to win the unpredictable race in a May runoff against far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
Macron owes some of his status as frontrunner to a financial scandal plaguing his other main rival, conservative Francois Fillon. On Wednesday Fillon promised to "fight to the end" as he revealed he would be placed under formal investigation over the alleged misuse of public funds.
Le Pen refused to attend a summons for questioning by police last Wednesday over allegations that she made illegal EU payments to her staff, her lawyer said on Friday.
"This is an important and serious moment because two candidates have decided to propose programmes which are conservative or regressive or which turn the country in on itself, but have also deliberately decided to attack the rule of law and judicial authority in particular," Macron said as he unveiled his manifesto at a news conference.
"We will put through a reform that will ban the hiring of close relations or family members. This reform has been part of "Onwards!" intentions since day one but we will carry it through so that all parliamentarians respect it," Macron added.
With regard to France's long-established core of elected officials, Macron said he would cut by a third the number of lawmakers in both the lower and upper parliamentary houses and by at least a quarter the number of province-level authorities classified as "departments". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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