France: Le Pen’s celebration provokes dispute – “Away with the EU flags” | EUROtoday

In a number of French cities, some newly elected mayors from Marine Le Pen’s right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) have lowered the European flag from their city halls. The new mayor of Carcassonne within the south of France, Christophe Barthès, was filmed eradicating the blue EU flag hanging subsequent to the French flag.

“Away with the European flags at the town hall! Make room for the French flags,” he wrote on Platform

The new right-wing mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer in southern France, Bryan Masson, additionally posted a photograph exhibiting the city corridor with solely French flags.

Foreign Minister laments “treason” by France

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot lamented “a betrayal of who we are.” France wished the European Union. “This is us.” There is not any dissolution of nationwide identification into European identification.

The liberal French MEP Valérie Hayer spoke of a “pseudo-patriotic gesture”. “They are against the European Union and want to stop French contributions. A real Frexit, which is just not called that.” Frexit is the title given to France leaving the EU. Even if Le Pen’s right-wing celebration not formally goals for this, its political plans are transferring on this course.

European Minister Benjamin Haddad countered the mayor of Carcassonne: “Are we going to give back the 3.4 million euros in EU funds for the Carcassonne hospital? Not to mention the funds for the city’s schools, for the renovation of the Viguier district or for the technical college?”

The blue EU flag was first adopted by the Council of Europe in 1955. In 1985, the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the EU, adopted the flag as its official brand. French city halls usually are not required to fly the flag. A regulation to require this was handed by the National Assembly in 2023, however the Senate has not but thought of it