PARIS — It's been a frenetic 24 hours for the French right. The leaders of Les Républicains — the historical party of French conservatism — are considering forming an alliance with the far-right National Front in a bid to counter the rising popularity of Marine Le Pen's party. French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged rival parties to join his electoral alliance against Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front, highlighting the growing concern over the influence of far right politics in Europe.
The leader of France's right-wing Republicans party, Eric Ciotti, has sparked an outcry after he backed an alliance with the far-right, breaking a long-standing political norm in French politics. This move has raised alarms among mainstream parties and voters alike, as they fear the normalization of far-right ideologies in the country's political landscape.
JTA — France's mainstream conservative party may join forces with the far right, shattering a decades-long political norm to shun a party that has been associated with xenophobia and nationalism. While the centre-right European People's Party remains the largest bloc, analysts say a shift to the right is likely as far-right parties continue to gain ground in European politics.