Le Pen’s National Rally fires security volunteer over racist remarks caught on tape
Opponents say the incident is evidence of the party's hateful nature.
The National Rally, the far-right party led by French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, has dismissed a security volunteer after footage surfaced showing a municipal police officer making racist remarks. The incident occurred in Carcassonne, a city the party took control of during local elections in March. The video, published by Midi Libre, captured a group of local police officers using racial and homophobic slurs against minorities, migrants, and women.
The clip, dated 2025, predated Mayor Christophe Barthès's tenure. The city publicly condemned the remarks, vowing to initiate proceedings and impose sanctions proportional to the severity of the actions. The National Rally confirmed the volunteer was immediately removed and expelled from the party following the video's revelation.
The prosecutor's office in Carcassonne has launched an investigation based on the footage. Critics argue the incident highlights the party's ongoing struggle to distance itself from its history of racism, xenophobia, and antisemitism. Le Pen, whose father founded the party in the 1970s alongside Nazi collaborators, has been actively trying to cleanse the organization's image.
Despite facing frequent scrutiny over offensive remarks from party members, the National Rally has gained significant support, making Marine Le Pen the frontrunner in the 2027 presidential election. However, opponents like Emmanuel Macron's candidate Gabriel Attal and Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure warn that electing Le Pen could bring France back to a regressive era characterized by hate speech and bigotry.
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