French President Macron Gains Backing of Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls

Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls Tuesday said that he would support the political movement started last year by President-elect Emmanuel Macron in the coming June legislative elections.

"I will be a candidate of the presidential majority, and I would like to sign up to his movement, namely the 'Republic on the Move,'" Mr. Valls said in an interview with RTL Radio.

After winning his bid to lead France, Mr. Macron is now working in gaining control of its parliament. His fledgling party, En Marche (On the Move), needs to forge alliances with, or recruit, establishment politicians from both sides of the political aisle to create a Macron majority when the French return to the polls for a two-round legislative vote scheduled for June 11 and 18.

Socialist President Francois Hollande named the openly pro-business Mr. Valls as his prime minister in 2014. Mr. Valls stepped down from the role last December to launch a bid for the presidency that ultimately failed.

Write to Nick Kostov at nick.kostov@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 09, 2017 02:56 ET (06:56 GMT)