ThousandsofpeopledemonstratedacrossFranceonSaturdayagainstEmmanuelMacron'sdecisiontopickcentre-rightpoliticianMichelBarnierasprimeminister,withleftistpartiesaccusingthepresidentofignoringelectionresults,News.Azreports.
Macronnamed73-year-oldBarnier,aconservativeandtheformerBrexitnegotiatorfortheEuropeanUnion,asprimeministeronThursday,cappingatwo-monthsearchfollowinghisill-fateddecisiontocallalegislativeelectionthatdeliveredahungparliament."Democracyisnotonlytheartofknowinghowtoacceptvictory,butthehumilitytoacceptdefeat,"Jean-LucMelenchon,headofthefar-leftFranceUnbowedparty(LFI),toldprotestersatthestartofthemarchineasternParis.
"Icallonyoutoundertakealongbattle."
Theorganiserssaidabout300,000peopledemonstratedpeacefullyacrossFrance,including160,000inParis,althoughpoliceinthecapitalsaid26,000peoplehadprotestedinthecity.
TheInteriorMinistrydidnotimmediatelygiveafigurefortheentirecountry,butitsnumbersareusuallymuchlowerthanthosegivenbyorganisers.
Barniermeanwhilemadehisfirstofficialvisit,meetingstaffataParishospital.Theworseningconditionofthepublichealthsectorhasbeenoneoftheareasthatpeoplehavedemandedactionaftermonthsofprocrastination.
"Withoutcarryingoutmiracles,wecanmakeimprovements,"Barnier,wholacksaclearmajority,toldreporters.
HesaidonFridayhewantstoincludeconservatives,membersofMacron'scamp,andsomefromtheleftinhisfuturegovernment.
