Far-Left parties and unions led tens of thousands of protesters who marched against Emmanuel Macron’s reforms in cities across France on Saturday a day after the president suggested he could be close to victory in a public battle over his reform agenda.

Rail and hospital workers, civil servants, students, community groups protesting against police violence and pro-Palestinian activists took part in the “Human Tide against Macron”.

However, with the turnouts of the marches lower than expected, comments on Friday by Mr Macron about the long-running strikes over his liberalisation programme appeared to have been justified.

In a TV interview, Mr Macron said neither demonstrations nor strikes that have disrupted France for the past seven weeks would deter him from pushing through his overhaul of state railways, which he said was nearing completion.

The president said during his visit to Russia that the protests "won't stop" his progress. "I won't preside in light of the polls or demonstrations, because we have done too much of that," (in the past) he said.