The leader of France’s mainstream right has said he would back an alliance with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) in snap elections announced by president Emmanuel Macron – sparking a backlash from his own party and shocking opponents.
The head of the right-wing Republicans party, Eric Ciotti, said: “We need to have an alliance while remaining ourselves... an alliance with the National Rally and its candidates.” His party won around 7 per cent of the vote in European parliamentary elections where RN won more than 30 per cent of the vote and Mr Macron’s centrist ticket won only 15 per cent. Hours later, Mr Macron dissolved parliament.
