Why France's parliamentary elections are important to President Macron

Elections are being held across France on Sunday to select the 577 members of the most powerful branch of France’s Parliament, the National Assembly, with a runoff on June 19

Emmanuel Macron saw off the far right’s Marine Le Pen in April’s presidential election, but now the French president is facing a threat from the other end of the political spectrum in the fight for parliamentary power.

Elections are being held nationwide to select the 577 members of the most powerful branch of France’s Parliament, the National Assembly, on Sunday, with a runoff on June 19.

The far-left's Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the head of a coalition made up of leftists, greens and communists under the name Nupes, is seeking to win the election and prevent Macron's party from retaining its current parliamentary majority.

Former Trotskyist Mélenchon wants to significantly increase the minimum wage and lower the retirement age to 60. He also wants to be prime minister if his coalition gains control. That scenario would have the power to derail Macron’s domestic agenda.

Here’s a closer look:

A lot. If Macron’s coalition, Ensemble!, keeps control, the president will be able to carry out his agenda as before. But observers think Macron's party and allies could have trouble getting an absolute majority — the magic number of 289 seats — this time around.

A government with a large, but not absolute, majority will still be able to rule, but only by bargaining with MPs.