The far-right Rassemblement National sought to hold talks with the heads of other right-wing and far-right parties on Monday, June 10, as they scrambled to prepare for snap elections that will be held in less than three weeks after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the Assemblée on Sunday night.
The RN's leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella opened the door to deals with the far-right Reconquête! party and the mainstream conservative Les Républicains.
Bardella said he had "stretched out his hand" to LR and had spoken with senior members. But he refused to say whether he had spoken with the party's leader, Eric Ciotti. In a televised interview, Le Pen said she would be prepared not to run candidates against incumbent LR lawmakers if it meant "gathering."
"Bringing people together means having a charter," she said, "which is what we're working on, with political points on which everyone agrees."
Bardella and Le Pen met with Marion Maréchal, who is the niece of Le Pen and was the lead candidate for Eric Zemmour's Reconquête party in the European elections, at the RN headquarters on Monday afternoon.
Bardella said after the meeting that “nothing has been decided” for the moment, “these are discussions," but that “unlike Eric Zemmour," Maréchal had taken a “constructive” approach during the recent European elections. "We've talked,” Bardella said. "And we'll no doubt have the opportunity to talk to her again, as we will with other figures from political movements."
Maréchal had "extended a hand” to Le Pen on Sunday evening, calling for “the union of the right." She said after the meeting Monday she had “taken note of this framework” and would “now discuss it with Eric Zemmour."
“It is my fervent hope that we can find a way to come together," Maréchal said.
Le Pen, who will be running to keep her seat in the Assemblée, also said that if her side wins, Bardella would be her party's nominee for prime minister.
The RN came in first in the European elections on Sunday with more than 31% of votes in France – its score was more than double that of Macron's list with 14%.
In a televised address late on Sunday, Macron warned of the danger of "the rise of nationalists and demagogues" for France and its place in Europe. He noted that, including the RN and Reconquête!, far-right parties in France had managed to take almost 40% of the Parliament vote.
He went on to dissolve the Assemblée and call snap elections in a shock move. He will be hoping to win back the outright majority he lost in France's lower house in the 2022 elections after winning a second presidential term.