Four days after the announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly, the French political scene continues to change. Thursday was notable for the agreement reached on the left for the legislative elections

Dissolution, D+4. Legislative elections, D-17. Thursday 13 June was a day rich in significant events, particularly with the alliance between the left-wing parties and the delicate situation of Éric Ciotti, which is embarrassing the Republicans. Here is H24 MEDIA’s summary of the highlights of the last few hours.

– On the left, the sacred union “is sealed”

The Insoumis, ecologists, socialists and communists will run together on 30 June and 7 July under the banner of the New Popular Front. The left-wing parties announced in the evening that they had reached an agreement for the next legislative elections.

“A huge expectation of unity has been expressed. It has been sealed”, declared the New Popular Front in a joint press release. The left-wing parties also declared that they had drawn up a breakaway political programme for the first 100 days in office.

This initiative was immediately welcomed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who spoke of a “considerable political event”. Earlier, the leader of La France insoumise had declined a debate with Gabriel Attal and Jordan Bardella, saying the discussion should be led by the leaders of the left-wing parties.

– Cautionary turn to the right: the conflict between LR and Ciotti will be settled in court

Another turbulent day for the Republicans. Following his expulsion, Eric Ciotti has regained possession of his office at party headquarters and plans to challenge his dismissal in court on Friday, a decision that LR leaders are trying to justify. In a brief video broadcast midday on the social network X, Ciotti, now allied with the Rassemblement National, appeared alone in his office before greeting journalists from the window.

Later, still on the social network, he claimed to have obtained 60,000 supporters for his proposed alliance between LR and the RN for the early legislative elections, via an online platform he had set up to collect signatures.

Ciotti, who on Tuesday announced an unprecedented alliance between LR and the RN for the legislative elections on 30 June without consulting the party’s leadership, claims to remain the party’s president. He also announced that “an application has been made to the Paris judicial court to challenge the validity” of his expulsion, which he considers “senseless”. The court will examine his appeal at 11am on Friday and is expected to issue its decision later today, according to a judicial source quoted by AFP.

For their part, the leaders of LR have postponed until Friday, for “organisational reasons”, the political bureau meeting initially scheduled for Thursday afternoon in order to “legitimise” the exclusion of Eric Ciotti. The legality of this meeting is also being challenged by Ciotti’s team, who are calling in a statement for “an end to the escalation of illegal and pointless summonses”.

François-Xavier Bellamy, who took over the governance of the party the day before with general secretary Annie Genevard, said he would vote for the RN in the event of a second round against the left-wing alliance. “I will do everything to prevent France insoumise from coming to power”, said the MEP on Europe 1, refusing to see the country “fall into this far-left alliance”.

– Renaissance MEPs distance themselves from Macron

For them, Emmanuel Macron’s face has become more of an obstacle than an asset. Few Renaissance candidates want to feature the head of state on their campaign posters.

“In 2017, it was a major asset. Today, after seven years in office, it’s clear that the President of the Republic is suffering the same criticism as his predecessors”, Bruno Millienne, spokesman for the Modem party and outgoing MP for Yvelines, who is standing in the next elections, explained to some journalists.

Violette Spillebout, who will be elected MP for the Nord region in the 2022 legislative elections, is also happy to display herself alone on her campaign leaflets. “It’s a choice, of course. I’m convinced that local people want to talk to an MP who represents their voice above all else, independently of political parties”, she explains. “It’s no longer a question of right-wing or left-wing parties.

Other MPs in the majority are choosing the Gabriel Attal option. Many Renaissance MPs have asked the Prime Minister to get involved in the campaign and appear alongside them on their posters. Thomas Rudigoz, MP for the first constituency of the Rhône, has presented an initial campaign visual in which he poses alongside the youngest head of government in the Fifth Republic.