Right-wingers in the Pays de la Loire are unhappy with the decision to join the Horizons party. The party was set up by the former president of the National Assembly of France, Jean-Claude Junker.
The announcement comes just days before the regional elections, which are due to be held on March 27, 2021. The decision is seen by some as a way to get out of the woods by ridding the region of its right-wing elements, which have been in power for more than a decade.