Florian Philippot, the trusted adviser of French Front National (FN) chief Marine Le Pen and the party’s vice president, announced on Thursday he was quitting the hard-right party after being stripped of all but his title.
Mrs Le Pen had urged Mr Philippot, considered an increasingly divisive figure within the party, to step down as head of The Patriots – a think-tank he formed shortly after Mrs Le Pen’s election defeat in May –, citing “conflict of interest,” but her top aide repeatedly turned a deaf ear to her pleas.
The far-right chief consequently withdrew Mr Philippot’s responsibilities within the FN late on Wednesday, pushing him to resign.
Mr Philippot told France 2 television: “I found out that I was vice president of nothing… Listen, I’m not into being ridiculed and I’ve never been into having nothing to do, and so, yes, of course I’m quitting the Front National.
“I watched the party struggle to refound itself… But I could see that instead of refounding itself, the party was sliding back to its old ways and being caught up by its old demons.”
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Mrs Le Pen told LCP television she both respected and deplored her former aide’s decision to quit the party.
Saying Mr Philippot would soon fall into oblivion, she said: “I’m not happy with his decision, but I respect it… That said, I firmly contest his accusations, there really is no need for him to criticise a party he’s only just left… I knew from the start that The Patriots wasn’t a small think tank, but a full-fledged political force.
“Former FN officials who quit the party to launch their own political movements have all disappeared (from the political scene). I know that the same thing will happen to Florian, which is why I regret his decision.”
Nicolas Bay, the FN’s secretary general, told France Info radio he “regretted” Mr Philippot’s decision, but the FN would have “no problem” getting over his departure.
Mrs Le Pen, who pledged after losing the presidential race to Emmanuel Macron to be the “main voice of opposition” against the new centrist government, has been overshadowed of late by far-left rebel and former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whose working-class rhetoric and unabashed criticism of the young president have widened his support base.
It therefore came as no surprise when Mr Mélenchon called on disgruntled far-right supporters to join his party, France Unbowed, shortly after Mr Philippot’s shock departure was announced.
Mr Mélenchon told RTL radio: “Excellent, it’s their business. But it’s perfect.
“It’s a useless political party. And so those that were very angry but aren’t fascists, I now urge them to turn their backs (on the FN) and come and join us.”
Mr Philippot, once one of the FN’s most prominent figures, however, will not be invited to join France Unbowed, Mr Mélenchon said: “No! No! He’s a fascist.”