Éric Ciotti, the president of the French conservative The Republicans party, has caused controversy by forming an alliance with the far-right National Rally (RN) ahead of snap legislative elections. This move has been criticized by centrist and left-leaning EU lawmakers, who fear that it is dismantling the firewall that has kept the far right in check in France. Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally, has welcomed this alliance as she seeks to unite France’s right-wing ahead of the upcoming elections. However, prominent figures in the European Parliament have spoken out against the move, expressing concerns that France may be opening its doors to radical right-wing forces.
The Green Party and other mainstream parties have doubled down on their commitment to fighting the rise of Europe’s far-right, vowing to never enter a coalition with far-right parties at any level. Manon Aubry, president of the Left group in the European Parliament, has criticized Ciotti’s decision, stating that it signals the demise of the Republican right in France. The Greens and other left-wing parties have formed alliances to combat the influence of the far-right in the French election. Valérie Hayer, president of the European liberals, has denounced The Republicans for aligning with the far right, stating that they have betrayed the fundamental principles of their predecessors.
Ciotti’s alliance with the far-right has also led to divisions within the Republicans’ camp, with many regional presidents and key figures within the party expressing opposition to the move. Some candidates elected to represent the Republicans in the European Parliament have distanced themselves from Ciotti, while others have voiced their support. The party’s lead candidate in the European elections, François-Xavier Bellamy, has described the potential alliance with Le Pen’s forces as counter-productive and playing into the hands of President Macron’s centrist party. The split within the Republicans has been viewed by Le Pen’s political family as a victory for their party, as they continue their efforts to dominate the French conservative camp and unite hard-right parties in Europe.
Marine Le Pen has expressed her desire to unite the European Parliament’s hard-right parties into a far-right supergroup by seeking the backing of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The parties are currently divided between Le Pen’s Identity and Democracy group and Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists, but if combined, they would become the third biggest faction in the European Parliament. This further emphasizes the growing influence of right-wing parties in Europe and raises concerns among centrist and left-leaning lawmakers about the potential repercussions of their rise to power. The battle between mainstream and far-right parties in Europe seems to be intensifying, with alliances being formed that challenge the traditional political landscape.
