Crisis as French centre right party allies with Marine Le Pen’s far right National Rally

The pact is the first time in modern French political history that a leader of a traditional party has backed an alliance with the far-right and has caused fury among Republicans.

French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party's President Jordan Bardella (L) Eric Ciotti, head of Les Republicains (LR). Picture: AFP.

The head of the French far-right National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella has confirmed a pact between his party and the traditional right-wing Republicans (LR) in snap legislative elections.

The alliance with Marine le Pen’s party has triggered a crisis within the Republicans and fury from the government.

The stunning announcement by Republicans leader Eric Ciotti in a TV interview is the first time in modern French political history that a leader of a traditional party has backed an alliance with the far-right National Rally.

“We need to have an alliance while remaining ourselves … an alliance with the RN and its candidates,” Mr Ciotti told TF1 television, adding that he had already held discussions with Ms Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate, and RN party leader Jordan Bardella.

Ms Le Pen praised “the courageous choice” and “sense of responsibility” of Ciotti, saying she hoped that a significant number of LR figures would follow him.

Mr Bardella told France 2 television: “I confirm there will be an accord between the National Rally and the Republicans.”

Meanwhile Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told TF1 television he would “lead the campaign” for the ruling Renaissance party and its alliance.

Leader of Les Republicains (LR) party Eric Ciotti (C) talks to reporters. Picture: AFP.

President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday called the elections on June 30, with a second round on July 7, in a major gamble after the RN scored more than double the number of votes of his centrist alliance in the EU elections.

With less than three weeks to go before the first round, Macron is facing opposition alliances crystallising on the left and right amid warnings that his bet could backfire.

A Harris Interactive-Toluna poll published on Monday suggested just 19 percent of people would back him, compared to 34 percent for the far-right National Rally.

But in an interview, Macron ruled out resigning after the election. The forthcoming ballot has set alarm bells ringing across Europe, as it risks hobbling France – historically a key player in brokering compromise in Brussels and support for Ukraine against Russian invasion.

- End of ‘sanitary cordon’ -

The LR traces its history back to post-war leader Charles de Gaulle and is the political home of ex-presidents such as Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Now “40 years of a pseudo sanitary cordon – which caused many elections to be lost – is disappearing,” Ms Le Pen, now head of RN deputies in the lower house National Assembly, told AFP.

But Mr Ciotti’s move, which he said was aimed at creating a “significant” group in the new National Assembly after the elections, risks tearing apart his own party.

“I see all those currently agitating for coalitions, for alliances, for little combinations. I’ll say right away: I don’t believe in it,” said Laurent Wauquiez, the leader of the central Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region seen as a presidential prospect for 2027.

Mr Ciotti “lied to us” about his plans, said Bruno Retailleau, head of the Republicans in the Senate upper house.

“This is disloyalty. It’s a failure to be upright,” he added. The LR speaker of the Senate, Gerard Larcher, a heavyweight figure, said he would “never swallow” an agreement with the RN and called on Mr Ciotti to resign.

But speaking to reporters after the interview, Mr Ciotti said he would not resign and emphasised that his mandate depended on party activists.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, a past defector from the LR to Mr Macron’s alliance, described the move as a “dishonour to the Gaullist family” and compared it to the Munich accords with Nazi Germany on the eve of World War II.

AFP