Emmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal face the prospect of the far-right National Rally party winning a parliamentary majority on July 7. Photo: Shutterstock/Abd Rabbo -Blondet-Nivier
Mr Macron called on “political leaders who do not recognize themselves in the extremist fever” to join his party.
France's main parties work together after the end Second World War. to prevent the far right from coming to power after RN's predecessor collaborated with the Nazis.
On Wednesday, the Republican Party decided to suspend its leader Eric Ciotti over his decision to break through the so-called “cordon sanitaire” and seek an alliance with Le Pen.
Reports in French media before Mr. Macron's speech exposed sharp divisions within his camp over the decision to call elections. Some called him a “sorcerer's apprentice” playing with the future of France.
“Macron is guilty of arrogance because he has never failed in an election before. Hence his rapid leap forward. He denies it,” complained one lawmaker quoted by Le Parisien.
The lawmaker went on to criticize “certain people” close to the president, whose influence was “harmful.”
” These guys are destroying everything we built over the last seven years, which will result in 150 deputies being fired, and everyone will be figuring out what exactly?” Another aide was quoted as saying.
Mr Macron defended the decision at his press conference. “What would you say… if I stood in front of you when 50 percent of the French voted for the extremes and exclaimed: “We are not changing anything, we are continuing”? You would say, “This guy is out of touch,” he said.
“I take full responsibility for starting this clarification process,” he continued, adding that two-thirds of French people supported dissolving parliament . According to him, this was opposed by members of the “political system” who wanted to keep their jobs.
Mr Macron said he was handing over control of the election campaign to his popular prime minister, Gabriel Attal, pictured Photo: Shutterstock
Edouard Philippe, Mr Macron's former prime minister and a potential successor in the 2027 presidential election, appeared to suggest it would be better if Mr Macron did not run at all.
“I'm not sure it's useful for the president of the republic to run a legislative campaign,” he told BFM TV on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, Macron said he had only drawn a “line” and would hand it over to his popular 35-year-old Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who would lead the legislative campaign.
Resignation rumors
He ruled. Debate against Ms Le Pen, who he said was dreaming of a “rematch” in the presidential elections she lost to him twice, and dismissed “rumours” that he would resign if his party's alliance lost , as “absurd.”
“I hope that when the time comes, men and women of good will who can say no to extremes will unite … and be able to build a common, sincere project that is useful for the country. “, he said.
The French expressed “anger”, he said, but realized that the policies of the RN and the policies of the far left were completely unworkable.
Mr Macron also criticized the conservative Republicans for Ciotti's attempt to form an alliance with the National Rally, calling it “a pact with the devil.”
The right “has turned its back on the legacy of General de Gaulle in a few hours,” as well as former presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, he said .
Republicans were in disarray on Wednesday as their Politburo announced it had fired Mr Ciotti after an emergency meeting only for him to announce minutes later that he was staying in place and call the committee's decision “a blatant violation of our charter”, which was illegal and invalid.
As the scandal broke, Mr Ciotti closed the party headquarters near the National Assembly due to “security fears”.
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