French President Emmanuel Macron has called on representatives of the social democrats, conservatives and greens to work together with his centrist camp to form a future government ahead of the snap parliamentary election he called.
Macron said in Paris on Wednesday that there was a willingness to work together with all those who did not find themselves in the alliances of the extreme left and right.
"It is this refoundation of political life that I am now calling for with great humility and determination," said Macron.
In response to the defeat of his liberal forces in the European elections at the weekend and the resounding victory of the right-wing nationalists, the president had surprisingly dissolved the National Assembly on Sunday evening and announced new elections in two rounds for June 30 and July 7.
Macron's presidency is not at stake. His term of office runs to 2027.
Macron attacked the new political alliances announced by the opposition parties in light of the parliamentary elections. "At both extremes, there are unnatural alliances that are in agreement effectively on nothing," said Macron. The alliances were cobbled together, but did not have majorities to govern, he added.
Politicians on the left of French politics, including communists, greens and socialists, have announced that they would join forces.
Éric Ciotti, the head of the conservative The Republicans, surprisingly declared on Tuesday after a meeting with National Rally leader Jordan Bardella that he wanted to make common cause with the right-wing nationalists who made big gains last weekend.
Following a meeting of the party's executive committee in Paris on Wednesday, the secretary general of the Republicans, Annie Genevard, announced that Ciotti had been expeeled from the party as a consequence.
"He has conducted secret negotiations without consulting our political family and activists, thus completely breaking with the statutes and the line of LR," Genevard said.
The party will pursue an independent course in the parliamentary elections with its own candidates instead of entering into an uncertain alliance with the right-wing nationalists, she said.
Ciotti described the meeting of the party executive as invalid. It had been held in blatant violation of the party statutes, Ciotti wrote on the social media platform X.
"None of the decisions taken at this meeting have legal consequences. I am and remain the chairman of our political grouping elected by the members," Ciotti said.
Prior to the meeting, Ciotti had instructed employees at the party headquarters to leave and lock up in order to sabotage the meeting. He himself was not present at the time.
Macron said that members of The Republicans - following Ciotti's lead - were turning their backs on France's conservative heritage, including figures like Charles de Gaulle, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.
"We have been observing the masks falling since Sunday evening," he said.
"I would say that that this is a trial of truth between those who decide they want to own affairs to flourish and those that want France to flourish," Macron said.
Macron justified his decision in favour of a snap election, which was met with incomprehension in many quarters in France, with the political blockade of the government.
As his centre camp has not had an absolute majority in the National Assembly for two years and efforts to form coalitions and cross-party cooperation have failed, the government is being blocked, which is becoming dangerous for France, he said.
In addition, the opposition has announced a vote of no confidence for the autumn, Macron said on Wednesday.
According to a poll conducted by the Ifop Institute on Wednesday, the National Rally has 35% support, the left-wing alliance 25% and the government camp 18%. For the Ifop survey, 1,089 representatively selected people in France aged 18 and over were interviewed online on June 10 and 11.
As France has a majority voting system, these values do not directly relate to the future distribution of seats in the National Assembly.
