Former French PM holds onto his seat by the skin of his teeth Former prime minister Manuel Valls -- reviled by left-wingers for having tacked to the right while in office -- survived the purge of senior Socialists by the skin of his teeth, winning election in his suburban Paris fiefdom by a mere 139 votes. Valls had sought to run on Macron's ticket. The 54-year-old was rebuffed but REM did not run a candidate against him, facilitating his win. IMAGES of Valls voting