French far-right presidential Marine Le Pen. (File Photo: AP)
French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen said on Saturday she would appoint defeated first-round candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her prime minister if she was to be elected on May 7.
Right-winger Dupont-Aignan, who scored 4.7 percent of votes in the first round on April 23, announced on Friday that he was backing Le Pen, as widely expected.
“As President of the Republic I will name Nicolas Dupont-Aignan Prime Minister, supported by a presidential majority and united by the national interest,” she told a news conference in Paris at which the two politicians sat together.
Independent candidate for the 2017 French Presidential election Nicolas Dupont Aignan delivers his speech during the Gathering of French Mayors at Maison de la Radio in Paris, Wednesday, March 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Dupont-Aignan said he had signed an agreement on the future government with Le Pen that took into account some “modifications” of her program.
Polls on Friday showed centrist Emmanuel Macron winning the French presidential runoff with 59-60 percent of votes, although Le Pen has gained some ground since the start of the week.
