With the French Presidential election on the horizon, a leading member of Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National Group – Jerome Riviere MEP – has switched his support from Le Pen to the new right-wing firebrand on the scene, Eric Zemmour.
Riviere, the head of the Rassemblement National’s members in the European Parliament is expected to make a comment on the matter in the next day, in what will doubtlessly be a blow to the Le Pen camp.
The National Pulse understands that rather than any active animosity between Riviere and Le Pen/Rassemblement National, the former believes Zemmour – a long-time political debater and author – has the better chance of landing blows on President Emmanuel Macron in a Presidential head-to-head.
Polls show Macron leading the pack of French presidential candidates, with centre-right candidate Valérie Pécresse, Marine Le Pen, and Eric Zemmour trailing him.
Last week, former centre-right National Assembly member Guillaume Peltier also joined Zemmour’s Reconquête party.
Zemmour, 63, has set the political world alight in France over the past several months, through both policy and scandal.
Prior to announcing his run for president, the essayist and pundit embarked on a national tour which saw him debating the likes of far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melechon. Melechon is a popular figure on the far-left of French politics, and many were impressed at the pair’s serious discussion on national television.
His hardine views on immigration and culture in France have already forced other candidates to the political right, though his one-on-one polling numbers against Macron in a potential run-off remain a key area of concern.
While Le Pen trails Macron in head-to-head polling by around 12 points, Zemmour’s numbers reveal around a 25 point difference between the candidates.
The counsel of Riviere, a figure close to international right-wing heavyweights such as Nigel Farage and Stephen K. Bannon, will add gravitas as well as experience to Zemmour’s campaign.
The news comes just weeks after President Macron pledged to “piss off” unvaccinated French citizens, even going so far as to label them “not citizens” for failing to take the Big Pharma jabs.
The French election will take place in April, with the first round on the 10th and the second round on the 24th.
