FRANCE’S left-wing parties agreed late on Monday to form a new alliance after President Emmanuel Macron announced snap national elections following his party’s crushing defeat by the far right in the European Union vote on Sunday.

In light of the European polls, politicians on the left are focused on closing ranks to prevent a win for the National Rally that could result in the French far right leading a government for the first time since World War II.

The alliance — which includes the Greens, the Socialists, the Communists and Jean-Luc Melenchon’s France Unbowed —  has for now vowed not to join forces with Mr Macron’s supposed centrists.

In a joint statement, the alliance called on all forces on the left, including the influential trade unions, to unite behind a “new popular front” to form an “alternative to Emmanuel Macron and to fight against the racist project of the far right.”

The National Rally leader Marine Le Pen is working to consolidate power on the right ahead of the two-round elections that will take place on June 30 and July 7.

Ms Le Pen’s niece, Marion Marechal, who won a seat in the European Parliament on Sunday as a member of the rival Reconquer party of Eric Zemmour, on Monday visited National Rally headquarters in Paris to negotiate a far-right alliance at the upcoming elections.

Ms Le Pen also met members of the conservative Republicans party to discuss a united front. Some conservative lawmakers have supported some of Mr Macron’s Bills in the National Assembly since the president lost a majority in the lower house of the French parliament following the 2022 general election.

“We have a historic chance to allow the national camp to put France back on track,” Ms Le Pen said in an interview with the French public broadcaster on Monday evening.

She said the National Rally and the conservatives could agree on several policy goals, including an economic recovery plan, boosting purchasing power and curbing immigration.