(Paris) The leader of the Republican right party in France called on Tuesday to form an unprecedented alliance with the far right, a new earthquake in the country after the dissolution of the National Assembly and the convening of legislative elections by Emmanuel Macron who excluded any resignation.

The political upheaval in France that followed the triumph of the far-right National Rally (RN) party on Sunday in the European elections is also affecting the left-wing opposition, which is trying to overcome its divisions to form an alliance for the legislative elections on June 30 and July 7.

On the right, the president of the Republicans (LR), a party which claims to be part of the legacy of General de Gaulle, caused a stir by calling, for the first time in France, for an “alliance” with the RN, whose ancestor was co-founded by a former Waffen-SS.

“We need an alliance, while remaining ourselves, […] with the National Rally and with its candidates,” declared Eric Ciotti, immediately disavowed by several executives and elected officials of his party who called on him to leave his functions and denounced a “personal” choice.

The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, a former member of LR who joined Emmanuel Macron in 2017, accused Mr. Ciotti of having “signed the Munich Accords”, initialed in 1938 in particular by France and Nazi Germany , and to bring “disgrace to the Gaullist family”.

Galvanized by its success in the European elections and made favorite in the next legislative elections, the RN for its part reaped a new victory and applauded “the courageous choice” and “the sense of responsibility” of Mr. Ciotti.

“Forty years of a pseudo sanitary cordon, which caused many elections to be lost, is in the process of disappearing,” Marine Le Pen, patron of RN deputies and twice unsuccessful candidate for the presidency, told AFP. presidential election against Emmanuel Macron.

The head of state, who plunged the country into uncertainty by announcing the dissolution of the National Assembly on Sunday after the debacle of his camp in the European elections, had to clarify “the direction that he believes is right for the Nation” during a press conference on Tuesday, which was ultimately postponed for 24 hours.  

In an interview with Figaro Magazine posted online on Tuesday, the president assured in any case that he would refuse to resign “whatever the result” of the legislative elections, which could bring the far right to power for the first time while the country is preparing to host the Olympics (July 26-August 11).

Asked about the risk that the RN, in the event of victory, would ask for his resignation, the head of state dismissed this hypothesis. “It is not the RN that writes the Constitution, nor its spirit. The institutions are clear, the place of the president, whatever the result, is also clear. It is an intangible for me,” he replied to the weekly.

According to a Harris Interactive-Toluna poll published Monday, the RN is credited with 34% voting intentions for the first round on June 30. Which would allow him to obtain a relative majority during the second round on July 7, with 235 to 265 deputies.

The Macronists, with 19%, could only count on 125 to 155 seats, compared to 115 to 145 for the left, credited with 22% under its new unitary banner.  The right-wing LR party is credited with only 9% of the votes.

After being divided during the European campaign, the four main left-wing parties (France insoumise, Socialist Party, Ecologists, Communist Party) announced Monday evening that they had found common ground to present “unique candidates from the first round “, even if discrepancies remain.

This alliance was sharply criticized by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Tuesday, deeming it “revolting” that the socialists wanted to “build an agreement” with France Insoumise (radical left), accused of ambiguities on anti-Semitism.

Negotiations resumed Tuesday to refine a common program and distribute the 577 constituencies. But the choice of a leader remains unresolved.  

The presidential camp remains in ambush: former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has come out of his reserve to call for “building a new majority”.

“I will go to the end of my duty as a citizen attached to his country who will give everything to avoid the worst,” assured Gabriel Attal, who recognized that the dissolution announced by President Macron had been “brutal” for the majority deputies.

All parties are in any case pressed for time: applications must be submitted between Wednesday and Sunday at 6 p.m.