It's striking how much worse the Tories have got on the environment under Sunak.
Even Boris talked the talk on green issues. (Albeit he talked the talk on almost everything - part of why the Tories have collapsed so badly since the last election is that Boris' 2019 manifesto promised all things to all people, and in the intervening 5 years the Tories have therefore managed to disappoint every segment of their 2019 voter coalition...)
However, other senior members of LR immediately rejected Ciotti’s call, suggesting the party, which has been divided on how closely to co-operate with the far right, could disintegrate in the run-up to the election.
“Following Éric Ciotti’s comments, I believe he can no longer lead our movement and must resign as chairman of the party,” said Gérard Larcher, president of the Senate and a senior LR figure.
Michel Barnier, another senior figure within the Républicains and the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, also called on his party to refuse a far-right alliance. “Never, never can an alliance or pact with a populist and anti-European country be the solution,” Barnier said on X.
The dispute heralds a potential broader realignment of the French right as parties on all political fronts try to forge partnerships and bolster their chances of gaining a majority with just three weeks to campaign. Leftwing parties have thrashed out a preliminary pact to run a single list of candidates.
I think there's a question of whether Ciotti even survives long enough to put his pact into force. Mainstream Republicans seem clear this would be the end of the centre-right in France. In many ways it's a massive gift to Macron who can now tell centre-right voters that there's no other option between Renaissance or Le Pen, if voting Republican will just deliver the latter.
From ‘hug a husky’ to ‘max out the oil’: the Tory environmental journey (www.theguardian.com)
We look back through 14 years of Conservative manifestos at policies on net zero, energy, transport and more
France’s conservative leader calls for pact with far right (www.ft.com)
Éric Ciotti’s plan could split Les Républicains and adds to political turbulence that is spooking investors
Emmanuel Macron says he is out to win French snap election (www.theguardian.com)
President says vote is in country’s interest and dismisses claims it could hand power to the far right