Open warfare has erupted between French RINOS and Patriots as France prepares for snap elections after the triumph of the French right in EU elections. The head of the center-right “Republicans” is reported to have barricaded himself in party headquarters after announcing a deal with Marine Le Pen’s “National Rally”, while Le Pen’s niece Marion Maréchal fights with the leader of her “Reconquest” party, Éric Zemmour.
On Tuesday, Éric Ciotti, head of Nicolas Sarkozy’s former ruling party “Les Republicains” (LR), agreed on a joint list with presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and party leader Jordan Bardella of the right-wing “Rassemblement National” (RN) at secret talks for the parliamentary elections in two weeks.
On Wednesday, the RINO Republican party council voted to expel Ciotti.
Ciotti then barricaded himself in the “Republicans” party headquarters and sent an email to all party members, seeking to rally the party base behind a right-wing “National Union” campaign.
Ciotti refuses to accept his ouster from the party, he said, posting a video of himself in his office on X.
The outcome of the confrontation is uncertain at this time.
Au travail pour la France ! pic.twitter.com/rtOwR4WfkP
— Eric Ciotti (@ECiotti) June 13, 2024
Ciotti called the left-wing alliance the true enemy in the battle over the future of France.
The far-left alliance of Communists, Socialists, and eco-fanatics poses a danger of “anti-Semitism, police hatred, and the flags of foreign contries flying in our parliament,” Ciotti said.
Ciotti flatly rejected cooperating with EU election loser Emmanuel Macron.
RN spokesman Sébastien Chenu said Ciotti has the support of his base, but is being undermined by Republican party leaders “who have been sabotaging the right for years,” “who are not courageous people,” and “do not want change.”
“I can make a list of LR deputies who had hoped for an agreement with us behind the scenes,” said National Assembly spokesman Sébastien Chenu (RN).
LePen’s niece Marion Maréchal, who was elected to the sham “EU parliament” for the “Reconquête” party on June 9, 2024, also announced a joint campaign with the “National Rally” along with her colleagues Nicolas Bay, Guillaume Peltier, and Laurence Trochu.
Je veux rester fidèle au moteur de mon engagement politique : défendre l’union des droites. Notre responsabilité historique est de ne pas affaiblir le camp national et de défendre nos idées, notamment la lutte contre l’immigration. #UnionNationale pic.twitter.com/S0x4QzENsS
— Marion Maréchal (@MarionMarechal) June 13, 2024
However, apparently Maréchal’s announcement was not coordinated with “Reconquête” founder and presidential candidate Éric Zemmour.
Maréchal accused Zemmour of torpedoing the right-wing alliance:
“Éric Zemmour has decided to send as many of his own candidates as possible into the race,” said Maréchal. “That’s a mistake for the National camp.”
Zemmour accused Maréchal of betraying him and wanting to lead a Reconquête takeover by her aunt’s “Rassemblement National”.
Maréchal left the party founded by her late grandfather Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2019 and joined Zemmour’s party.
“I have been fighting for a “National Bloc” for 30 years,” Zemmour said, saying he was ready to withdraw Reconquête candidates if an agreement with RN could be reached.
Maréchal denied she was seeking a career in the “Rassemblement National”.
These have undoubtedly been the wildest 72 hours in French politics in my lifetime. Pretty incredible stuff.
A
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 13, 2024
