Éric Ciotti reportedly locked himself inside his office Wednesday after members of his party voted to oust him.
Ciotti’s party, the right-leaning Les Républicains, voted to remove him due to his proposed alliance with far right political figures, according to The Guardian. The former leader reportedly barricaded himself in his office after locking other members out of the party’s headquarters. Ciotti called for an alliance with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, a right-wing populist and nationalist party.
Ciotti insists he is still the rightful leader of Les Républicains. In a post on Twitter, he argued that the meeting in which he was ousted “was implemented in flagrant violation of our statutes” and that the vote does not “have any legal consequences.”
“I am and remain the president of our political party, elected by the members!” he added. (RELATED: ‘We’re Ready For It’: Conservatives Set To Secure Wins In Europe After Massive EU Elections)
La réunion organisée cet après-midi a été mise en œuvre en violation flagrante de nos statuts @lesRepublicains.
Aucune des décisions prises à cette réunion n’emporte de conséquence légale.
Elle peut avoir des conséquences pénales.
Je suis et reste le président de notre… pic.twitter.com/8cSoosTdK3
— Eric Ciotti (@ECiotti) June 12, 2024
In another post, Ciotti explained that his reason for closing the doors was due to “threats received and yesterday’s disturbances” and claimed “no meeting was ever scheduled at headquarters this afternoon.”
J’entends beaucoup d’élucubrations sur la fermeture du siège LR.
J’ai pris cette décision à la suite des menaces reçues et des désordres d’hier.
Je dois garantir la sécurité du personnel.
De surcroît, aucune réunion n’a jamais été prévue au siège cet après-midi. https://t.co/YdkTikAseC
— Eric Ciotti (@ECiotti) June 12, 2024
Aurélien Pradié, a high-ranking party member, told reporters that Ciotti “was no longer president [of the party] from the second he made this insane decision” and vowed to “remove him from the office of the heirs of the General de Gaulle if we have to,” according to The Guardian.
The populist right is currently winning more influence over France’s government and that of other European nations.
