European Parliament member Gilbert Collard said on Saturday he is leaving Marine Le Pen's National Rally to join rival far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, becoming the third Le Pen ally in a week to link up with Zemmour, Trend reports citing Reuters.
Last week, Jerome Riviere, head of Le Pen's National Rally group in the European Parliament, and Damien Rieu, parliamentary assistant to another National Rally EU lawmaker, also quit to join Zemmour's ranks. read more
"I have nothing against Marine Le Pen ... I join Eric Zemmour because of his ideas," Collard said in an interview with France Bleu Gard Lozere.
Former TV talk show host Zemmour and Le Pen are vying for the far-right vote, hoping to beat President Emmanuel Macron in the April election.