French centre-right offers ‘legislative pact’ that could help Macron

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PARIS (Reuters) – France’s centre-right bloc proposed a “legislative pact” on Monday that could pave the way for a broader deal with French President Emmanuel Macron’s party as political leaders struggle to form a government.

Macron’s decision to call a snap election delivered a hung parliament, in which the left-wing New Popular Front alliance unexpectedly came first, ahead of Macron’s centrists and Marine Le Pen’s far right National Rally.

No group won a majority, leaving France in uncharted waters as it seeks to build a coalition government.

The apparent overtures toward Macron by the centre-right bloc come after the president’s pick for parliamentary speaker, Yael Braun-Pivet, won a second mandate last week, weakening the left and strengthening his hand as he seeks to retain some say over France’s future government.

Laurent Wauquiez, the head of the former Republicans group in the National Assembly, renamed the Republican Right, said on Monday that a pact was needed if France were to escape the purgatory of a hung parliament.

“This legislative pact is the illustration of our desire not to block the country, to provide solutions,” he said.

He said his group would not back any tax increases or measures to weaken retirees’ benefits, and would look favourably on proposals to boost security and public services.

Wauquiez said he was not offering a governing coalition.

“We are independent and we will remain so,” he said, adding his bloc would vote with any executive power that proposed measures in line with those in the legislative pact.

The Republican Right group is comprised of former members of the Republicans who remained after the party’s former chief, Eric Ciotti, jumped ship to the far-right.

Ciotti, in a statement, criticised Wauquiez and his bloc for “building an alliance with Emmanuel Macron, contrary to their great speeches of independence and opposition.”