Sunday, May 7, 2017

Emmanuel Macron elected French president • Conservatives to repeat net migration pledge • Labour promises pre-watershed ban on TV junk food adverts

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By Justin Parkinson

Macron wins - but can he unite France?

"Everyone told us it was impossible, but they don't know France," said Emmanuel Macron, as he celebrated being elected the country's next president. The 39-year-old centrist took almost two thirds of the vote, seeing off far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

But Mr Macron, who started his own party last year, has no MPs and may well need to pull together a coalition to govern effectively. He certainly has "charm", says BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield, but will that be enough to unite a country divided over immigration and its place in the world?

What next for Emmanuel Macron?

Balancing the expectations of sweeping change with the demands of government will not be easy, especially as he is likely to face a politically diverse cabinet - and probably a divided parliament too.

Read full analysis >

Lucy Williamson

Paris correspondent

Other top stories

The Conservatives set a target in their last general election manifesto of cutting annual net migration to the "tens of thousands". It's not been met, with recent figures putting it at 273,000. On Sunday, Home Secretary Amber Rudd did not say whether the pledge would be repeated this time round. But the BBC's Ben Wright says he understands it will be.

Meanwhile, Labour's promising tougher action against advertising junk food and sweets to children. It wants a ban on all TV commercials for such products before the 21:00 watershed, potentially affecting shows like the X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Hollyoaks.

A two-year-old girl has suffered head and body injuries in what police describe as a "horrific" attack involving several dogs. They got into the back garden where she was playing with two other children in Toxteth, Liverpool. A 35-year-old man has been arrested.

What the papers say

Photographs of an exultant Emmanuel Macron feature on several front pages, Metro describing the French president-elect as "Le Big Mac". The Financial Times calls his win a "phenomenal achievement", but the Daily Telegraph says Mr Macron's strong pro-Europeanism will offer "scant comfort" to Theresa May ahead of Brexit negotiations. Meanwhile, the Daily Express reports that a "broccoli pill" could prevent thousands of stroke deaths, and the Daily Star promises a "heatwave", starting today.

Daily digest

Missing speedboat - Two bodies recovered from Irish Sea

North Korea detention - US citizen held on suspicion of "hostile acts"

Fake news warning - Facebook runs advert in UK newspapers

Legend's farewell - Country music's Kenny Rogers prepares to hang up microphone

If you watch one thing today

'I thought PTSD was a man thing'

If you listen to one thing today

The extraordinary history of the passport

If you read one thing today

Why is Anne of Green Gables big in Japan?

Monday lookahead

Today Hacker Paul Dixon, who attacked websites including BA's, is to be sentenced. The 23-year-old from Seaham, County Durham, has pleaded guilty to five offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

20:00 Chelsea, strong favourites to win the Premier League, take on Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge.

22:00 South Korea holds an election, after Park Geun-hye became the first president of the country to be removed from power by impeachment.

On this day

1968 - Ronald and Reginald Kray, two of London's most feared gangsters, are arrested on suspicion of murder.

1984 - The USSR announces it is boycotting the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, due to take place in 12 weeks' time.

Best of the rest

Is it good news Puerto Rico has officially gone bankrupt?
(Washington Post)

Is there a racial bias in the body mass index?
(Newsweek)

The architecture of Albert Speer Junior
(New Yorker)

How comic books came back with a vengeance
(Independent)

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