Macron's team rocked by secret talks with far‑right leaders

French newspaper "Liberation" reports on meetings between President Emmanuel Macron's government members, including the ministers themselves, and leaders of the far-right National Rally party. A possible alliance was reportedly discussed.

Meanwhile, according to information provided by "Le Monde," such reports have caused intense outrage among some members of the Macron movement, known as Macronists.

The meetings took place at the home of Thierry Solere, a former advisor to President Macron. In its article published on Tuesday, "Liberation" emphasized that Solere still influences the president. These meetings, which lasted until the late evening hours, were a venue for discussions on the possibility of agreements across party lines.

"Liberation" reported that Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu met with Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally, at Solere's home as early as March, and former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe spoke with her in December.

The details of the meetings are unknown, but "Liberation" noted that Solere's dinner with Jordan Bardella took place on June 12, just a few days after the president dissolved parliament following a defeat in the European Parliament elections, suggesting that the discussion may have been about a new political grouping.

Philippe confirmed that he was at dinner with Le Pen, but the other people who were supposed to have participated in the meetings either did not respond to "Liberation's" queries or denied the newspaper's reports. However, many politicians from both the National Rally and Macron's camp believe there is nothing unusual about these meetings. - Politicians from both sides responded that everyone has the right to dine with whomever they want.

However, as "Le Monde" reports, not all politicians from Macron's camp are so tolerant. Some categorically oppose meetings between important democratic party figures and far-right politicians.

Francois Bayrou, chairman of the Democratic Movement, a party in the president's camp, expressed his strong stance on these reports: "There is an insurmountable gap between us and the extreme right; we must not multiply the signals favourable to the RN." He added that it is a bad sign that more and more people in the country want to fraternise with them.