Macron seeks alliance against France's far right; Republicans ditch party chief

Eric Ciotti, head of the French conservative party Les Republicains (The Republicans - LR), is surrounded by journalists as he leaves the LR party headquarters in Paris, as French political parties try to build alliances ahead of early legislative elections in France, June 11, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged rival parties to join his electoral alliance against Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally, while the conservative Republicans ditched their party chief for seeking a far-right pact.

The fast-moving political developments came after Macron's shock decision to call a snap parliamentary election in a few weeks. The vote could hand real power to Le Pen's party after years on the sidelines.