Emmanuel Macron was confronted on Monday with pressing reminders of the major challenges facing him after he is sworn in as France's next president this weekend.

Protesters clashed with police in the capital, objecting to his plans to liberalise the economy which they claim will lead to a loss of workers' rights.

Many in the hundreds who took part in the demonstration said they had not voted in the election as neither Mr Macron nor Marine Le Pen appealed.

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Some said they only voted for Mr Macron to stop her winning.

Lauren, a young restaurant worker in Paris, told us: "I felt it was important to get out on the first day and let Macron know that even though we cast a vote for him it wasn't a happy vote.


"It was the less bad vote, but we are here and we will be watching what he does."



The demonstration took place as Mr Macron's party announced it was changing its name to La Republique En Marche (Republic on the Move) as it embarked on its next battle of fighting parliamentary elections next month.

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The fledgling movement was only formed a year ago and has no parliamentary presence to push its reforms through, including the economic overhaul that prompted the protest.



La Republique En Marche is fielding candidates in every seat available and spokeswoman Anne Lebreton told Sky News: "With a majority you can get your laws through and everything, so it is very important and it is also an important sign of confidence.

"So that is going to be our goal and our aim in the next month."

Macron's extraordinary rise to power

Ms Lebreton acknowledges her boss has a battle ahead trying to unite a fractured nation after the election, but current President Francois Hollande made a public overture at endorsing his successor when the men appeared together at a ceremony in Paris marking the end of WWII in Europe.



Responding to claims Mr Macron is simply the "next Hollande", he said: " I don't want to own Emmanuel Macron. It is the French people who chose him.

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"It's true that he followed me throughout these last years, while I myself was candidate, when I became president, he was a government minister.

"But after that, he freed himself, he wanted to present a project to the French people. He presented himself in front of them, he was elected, he is the president."

The challenges facing President Macron

Those were perhaps difficult words for a man who has watched Mr Macron's success at the expense of the political humiliation of his own Socialist Party.

Mr Macron worked as economy minister for President Hollande and some in his party accused Mr Macron of betraying him.

But the president would have been genuine in his expressed relief that the candidate who supports the EU was elected.

That sentiment was echoed by leaders across Europe.

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"I was delighted about the fantastic electoral success of Emmanuel Macron and I congratulated him personally yesterday by telephone," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

She added: "Emmanuel Macron carries the hopes of millions of French people and of many people in Germany and the whole of Europe.

"He conducted a brave, pro-European campaign. He stands for openness to the world. He stands firmly behind a social market economy and we know that Germany and France are bound by fate."

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But even Angela Merkel has issues with Mr Macron's economic visions and the pair are likely to meet in the coming days.

Running for president is a whole different reality to being the president.