MPs expelled from France’s opposition conservative Les Républicains party for backing President Emmanuel Macron launched a new centre-right party on Sunday as fears mount that the Républicains are drifting towards the far-right, reports The Telegraph.
More moderates are expected to quit Les Républicains if Laurent Wauquiez, a populist whose policies are close to those of Marine Le Pen’s Front National, wins the party leadership as expected in a poll next month.
The Républicains clung on as the main opposition in the parliamentary election in June, but with a disappointing 137 seats, down from 199.
Since then, the party has expelled more than 20 MPs for supporting Mr Macron, a centrist, and for joining a parliamentary group called Les Constructifs (The Constructives). They include the prime minister, Edouard Philippe, who no longer belongs to any party, and two other members of Mr Macron’s government, the public accounts minister Gérald Darmanin and Sébastien Lecornu, a junior environment minister.
Nineteen of those expelled formed the new party, Agir (Act), saying it will “defend centre-right liberal, social, European, humanist and reformist ideas”.
Meanwhile Mr Darmanin, Mr Lecornu and another former Republican MP, Thierry Solère, announced on Saturday that they were joining Mr Macron’s party, En Marche (On The Move), which commands an overwhelming majority.
Mr Macron’s surprise victory six months ago has reshaped France’s political landscape.
Many conservatives back his efforts to cut public spending and taxes, while making it easier for companies to hire and fire workers.