Macron and Le Pen go through to run off for French president

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Worrying to have Le Pen as a candidate this far in, but hopefully voters will be switching to Macron.

Finding the equilibrium between workers' and employers' rights is incredibly difficult. Neither France nor the U.K. are in the right place, though they are in entirely different places.

lessworried and Bobo The problem with the Fr. employment laws is that once hired, it is impossible to fire anyone, I was told by a would be employer (however irresponsible, lazy or psychotic they are).

The social security is good though. There are too many on the 'social' because there are too few jobs.

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That really isn't true. My DP has years and years as an employer under his belt and has fired lots of people! At all levels! It just costs money...

You can get rid of uselsss people. You just can't hire and fire at will.

Its not just the law that is a brake on hiring but also "conventions collectives" (CC) - the Catholic school at which DH volunteers as an accountant would hire someone to cover their cleaner's sick leave but under the CC they have to offer at least 18h a week and they can't afford it.

Mistigri is right - collective bargaining agreements (conventions collectives) mean that the legal framework of employment varies a lot from sector to sector.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39766334

Is Macron getting desperate? Does he think people are stupid? Surely everyone knows he is an EU hardliner, as are presumably his financial backers?

There is nothing new in that report, Rorty.

Has he mentioned what reforms he is looking for ?

You can read his party's European programme here:

en-marche.fr/emmanuel-macron/le-programme/europe

Macron has for a long time been in favour of EU reforms in favour of european democracy and accountability. And while their politics are very different, Yanis Varoufakis has said that Macron was one of the few pro-Greece voices during the Greek crisis.

(Personally I agree with some of Macron's ideas but not others. My OH is very much in favour of his pro-small business stance. It's not difficult to read his proposals and make up your own mind).

Anyone watching the debate? She's floundering, he's much more incisive thzn I expected.

I watched it all. She wiped the floor with him. he was clearly uncomfortable and not presidential but shifty.

Even the FN trolls on Twitter have voted with their feet tonight. What a joke.

MLP was anything but presidential.

She was dishonest, insulting, xenophobic, childish and the debate was very embarrassing to watch. Her inane remark about Angela Merkel sums it up, really.

I'm not a big fan of Macron, but he did well in the face of her torrent of bilge and bile.

However, if Trump can be POTUS, then rank dishonesty, flagrant stupidity and a love of childish taunts clearly don't put all voters off.

MLP trolled the whole debate. She was the ultimate small town playground bully, unaware of her own stupidity and shortcomings.

Good news. Looks like Macron has won convincingly.

Thanks for the other experiences Mistri and Boho . It's very good news about Macron. I dont envy him his job though.

It seems that the French presidents are only appreciated by the population when they've left the post. (Apart from Sarkozy of course )