Macronists in turmoil over potential far‑right alliance meetings

French newspaper Liberation reports on meetings between President Emmanuel Macron's government members, including the ministers themselves, and leaders of the far-right National Rally party. A possible alliance was reportedly discussed.

Meanwhile, according to information provided by Le Monde, such reports have caused intense outrage among some members of the Macron movement, known as macronists.

The meetings took place at the home of Thierry Solere, a former adviser to President Macron. In its article published on Tuesday, Liberation emphasised that Solere still influences the president. These meetings, which lasted until the late evening hours, were a venue for discussions on the possibility of agreements across party lines.

Liberation reported that Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu met with Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally, at Solere's home as early as March, and former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe spoke with her in December.

The details of the meetings are unknown, but Liberation noted that Solere's dinner with Jordan Bardella took place on 12th June, just a few days after the president dissolved parliament following a defeat in the European Parliament elections, suggesting that the discussion may have been about a new political grouping.

Philippe confirmed that he was at dinner with Le Pen, but the other people who were supposed to have participated in the meetings either did not respond to Liberation's queries or denied the newspaper's reports. However, many politicians from both the National Rally and Macron's camp believe there is nothing unusual about these meetings. Politicians from both sides responded that everyone has the right to dine with whomever they want.

However, as Le Monde reports, not all politicians from Macron's camp are so tolerant. Some categorically oppose meetings between important democratic party figures and far-right politicians.

François Bayrou, chairman of the Democratic Movement, a party in the president's camp, expressed his strong stance on these reports: "There is an insurmountable gap between us and the extreme right; we must not multiply the signals favourable to the RN." He added that it is a bad sign that more and more people in the country want to fraternise with them.