Far-right candidate Eric Zemmour presented Marion Maréchal as his new political ally on Sunday. The niece of National Rally leader Marine Le Pen officially joined the campaign in a move that may revive Zemmour's floundering bid for the French presidency.
Speaking at a rally in the southern French city of Toulon, Marion Maréchal called for a "great union of the right" adding that victory for Zemmour was possible.
In front of 8,000 people gathered at the Zenith events centre, Zemmour gave a hearty welcome to Maréchal as she came on stage, her presence ushering in a new chapter in the family feud with Marine Le Pen.
Le Pen said in January she was personally hurt by Marechal's plan to defect, saying: "It's brutal, it's shocking, it's difficult for me."
The 32-year-old pregnant former deputy for the Vaucluse department made her dramatic return to politics after a five-year absence with flashing lights and thunderous music.
Elected as the youngest member of parliament in 2012 at the age of 22, Marechal stepped back from frontline politics to spend more time with her daughter and open a political sciences school focused on nationalism.
On Sunday, she described Emmanuel Macron as a "divisive and woke" president, calling the mix a "dangerous ideology" that leads to "the dominant exploiting the dominated."
"I am here because what is at stake in this election is the unity and continuity of the French people. I am convinced that the cultural issue and the demographic issue is the top priority." - Marion Maréchal#ZemmourToulon #MarionMaréchal #ZemmourPresident https://t.co/ZPrkG6KTCW
— Eric Zemmour 🇬🇧 Tweets in English (unofficial) (@EngZemmour) March 6, 2022
War in Ukraine
Zemmour is hoping Maréchal's entrance will mark a "turning point" in his campaign after a complicated sequence of events regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Following a series of criticisms, even from within his own camp, Zemmour took advantage of Sunday's gathering to clarify his position on Ukrainian refugees.
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The far-right pundit underlined that he still prefers the refugees to stay in Poland rather than France, but he said that "those who prefer to come to France, for example because they have ties here or are French-speaking" should be welcomed until the bombing stops as they are Europeans and are Christians.
To applause, Eric Zemmour also called for a cap on petrol prices at €1.80 per litre in order to "protect the French from the consequences of war".
INFO JDD. Quand les Russes choyaient Éric Zemmour https://t.co/l4eeGzspzI pic.twitter.com/a2FfrdtBlj
— Le JDD (@leJDD) March 7, 2022
However, the far-right contender was in trouble again this weekend after it was revealed in the French press that he had two lunch meetings with the influential Russian oligarch Vladimir Yakunin in 2015 and 2016.
Meanwhile, according to images posted on social networks, one participant at Sunday's meeting performed a Nazi salute.
Zemmour's entourage was quick to react, saying the unknown participant was taken out of the rally and that "no such gesture is tolerated in our meetings."
At the end of his speech, Eric Zemmour invited his supporters to an open-air rally, due to take place at the Trocadero in Paris on 27 March.
Polls currently suggest Le Pen and Zemmour are the main contenders to make a run-off against Macron.
