Newly elected Reconquête! MEPs go against party founder Zemmour

5 months ago 13

In a surprising turn of events, four of the five newly-elected MEPs from the French far-right party Reconquête! (ECR), including party leader Marion Maréchal, openly criticised party founder Eric Zemmour on Wednesday.

Maréchal has been trying to build a right-wing coalition since French President Emmanuel Macron called snap legislative elections following his party’s crushing loss to Rassemblement National (ID) in the European elections on Sunday.

“Eric Zemmour has decided, despite our opposition, to field the maximum number of candidates against this coalition of the right,” said Maréchal during a press conference next to the National Assembly.

All the other newly elected Reconquête! MEPs, with the exception of Sarah Knafo, Zemmour’s advisor and partner, echoed Maréchal’s criticism.

According to them, Zemmour’s willingness to put forward candidates in numerous legislative constituencies would “divide the national camp”, risk the election of “Macronist and far-left MPs”, and ultimately allow Emmanuel Macron to “continue his policy of destroying our country”.

“I welcome Marion Maréchal’s call to her voters to choose our candidates,” Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National and the party’s candidate for prime minister if his party wins the legislative elections, wrote on X.

The Reconquête! MEPs move comes as a surprise, as Maréchal announced on Tuesday that her attempt to form a large “right-wing coalition” with Les Républicains (EPP), Debout la France (ECR), and the National Rally (ID) had failed precisely because of Bardella’s refusal.

Rassemblement National’s earlier condition for forming an alliance was that Eric Zemmour should not stand in these legislative elections.

Meanwhile, Zemmour said he did not understand Rassemblement National’s decision, claiming on CNews Tuesday evening that he did not want to “be the obstacle to unity.”

The Journal du Dimanche wrote on Wednesday that while the right-wing alliance failed, while the right-wing alliance had failed, Maréchal had managed to get some of her closest Reconquête! allies nominated by Rassemblement National.

This information is subject to confirmation, including the list of nominees.

(Théophane Hartmann | Euractiv.fr)