French President Emmanuel Macron observes a minute of silence as he attends a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Reutersmore-inEmmanuel Macron is beginning on Monday his first day as French President, with picking a Prime Minister and later travelling to Germany to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel, the media reported. The Prime Minister’s appointment is crucial for Macron, who needs to do well in next month’s parliamentary elections to push through his planned economic reforms, the BBC reported. Mr. Macron was sworn-in as President after his landslide victory over far-right National Front leader Marine le Pen, with 66 per cent of the vote in the run-off poll held on May 7. His visit to Germany is expected to be cordial as Mr. Macron has strong pro-EU views, officials said.

Source: The Hindu May 15, 2017 07:29 UTC