Macron Calls for Democratic Unity Against Far-Right in Snap Elections

French President Emmanuel Macron urged rival political parties to join him in creating a democratic alliance against Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally in upcoming snap legislative elections. Macron acknowledged past mistakes and called for a coalition to govern France, focusing on immigration, security, and justice.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged rival parties on both sides of the political centre to join him in forging a democratic alliance against Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) in upcoming snap legislative elections. In what amounted to a campaign speech just days after his shock call for an election, Macron acknowledged making mistakes, saying the French had expressed their indignation but felt they were not being heard.

The election would provide clarity, Macron said. He called on "many of our compatriots and political leaders who do not recognize themselves in the extremist fever" to "build a new project ... a coalition to govern, a coalition to act in the service of the French and for the republic".

He pledged to take a firmer hand in questions of immigration, security and justice, arguing that a far left prone to anti-Semitism would be too "lax," while the extreme right would bulldoze France's constitutional rule of law. In a dig at the leader of the conservative Republicans party, Macron decried political horsetrading over the last few days, saying "the mask has come off" some parties seeking to forge "unnatural alliances."

Republicans party chief Eric Ciotti's appeal for an alliance between his party's candidates and the RN in a snap parliamentary election has poleaxed the conservative party.

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