French far-right hopeful Marine Le Pen said Saturday she would appoint defeated first-round candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her prime minister if she is elected president.
Right-winger Dupont-Aignan, who scored just 4.7 percent in the first round on April 23, announced on Friday that he was backing Le Pen in France’s increasingly bitter presidential run-off, but argued that she is not a far-right politician.
“As president of the Republic I will name Nicolas Dupont-Aignan Prime Minister, supported by a presidential majority and united by the national interest,” Le Pen told a press conference in Paris at which the two politicians sat side-by-side.
Dupont-Aignan said he had signed an agreement on a Le Pen government mandate that took into account some “modifications” to her programme. He said Le Pen would incorporate some of his policy proposals into her election platform.
“It’s a historic day because we are putting France’s interests before personal or partisan ones,” he said.
Le Pen celebrated his backing as the creation of “a great patriotic and republican alliance”.