Republican Party President Eric Ciotti calls for a national alliance with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in the upcoming elections.
The conservative president of France’s Republican party, Eric Ciotti, called for a national alliance between his party’s candidates and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) in the next parliamentary elections.
“We say the same things, so let’s stop inventing imaginary opposition,” Ciotti told TF1 television on Tuesday.
The announcement is the first time in modern French political history that a leader of a traditional party supports an alliance with the far-right National Rally (RN).
President Emmanuel Macron called the elections on Sunday for June 30, with a second round on July 7, in a big gamble after the RN obtained more than double the number of votes of its centrist alliance in the EU elections.
Ciotti spoke with RN party leaders Le Pen and Jordan Bardella before announcing the measure, which he said was aimed at ensuring that the Republicans (LR) can secure enough seats to still form a parliamentary group.
“We need some kind of alliance and that’s what I’m offering,” Ciotti said. He added: “This is what the vast majority of voters want.”
Le Pen praised Ciotti’s “courageous choice” and “sense of responsibility”, saying she hoped a significant number of LR figures would follow him.
The appeal of Ciotti, who belongs to the most conservative branch of LR, could create a split in the party. More centrist party members have already said they would not accept such a measure.
Olivier Marleix, head of LR in the lower house of parliament, said he would not support “any agreement” with a far-right movement.
Marleix demanded Ciotti’s resignation.
The National Rally is expected to emerge as the strongest force after snap elections that begin in three weeks, although the party may fall short of an absolute majority.
Macron’s office postponed until Wednesday a major press conference initially scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, while insisting that the national-level vote would put before the French people a choice between “republican forces on the one hand and forces extremists on the other.”
Macron told Figaro Magazine that he ruled out resigning, “whatever the outcome” of the early elections.
Macron mocked the question of whether it would be “crazy” to dissolve parliament and call elections in such a short time.
“I’m just thinking about France. It was the right decision, in the interests of the country,” he said, adding that he was prepared to debate Le Pen face to face.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
