Anti-immigration candidate Éric Zemmour has won an important ally in his campaign for the French presidency — Marion Maréchal, the niece of rival candidate Marine Le Pen and granddaughter of the founder of France’s original far-right party, reports the Financial Times.
The move shows how control of French far-right politics is up for grabs after decades of domination by the Le Pen family.
Maréchal will appear at a rally for Zemmour on Sunday in Toulon, said people familiar with the matter, ending weeks of speculation about her intentions.
The endorsement formalises a family rift that had brewed for years. Christèle Lagier, a professor at Avignon University who studies the far-right, said Maréchal’s endorsement was not likely to change the course of the election but it laid “the groundwork for the future and potential recomposition of the right and far-right”.
The 32-year-old was an elected member of parliament for the National Front from 2012 to 2017 and her popularity in the party led to a rivalry with her aunt Marine Le Pen.
The two disagreed on policies — Maréchal was more conservative on social issues such as gay marriage and more liberal on the economy — and they also clashed on whether to build bridges with the traditional right.