The removal of the flag hangs between the claim of patriotism and hostility towards the EU.
Gilles Ivaldi, a CNRS research fellow at the Center for Political Research at Sciences Po (Cevipof), is a specialist in radical right-wing movements and the phenomenon of populism in Europe. In early 2025, he published a three-page article in the magazine of the Licra (International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism) on the topic of “The National Rally, the far right, and Europe.” This publication serves as a reminder that while “far-right movements now advance disguised in Europe,” “hostility towards European integration has traditionally been an ideological trait of the National Rally in France and common to all European far-right movements.” Of course, the “Frexit” and the departure from the Euro, the main themes of Marine Le Pen’s 2017 presidential campaign, were sacrificed on the altar of electoral realism.
However, on January 1, 2022, when a huge EU flag was displayed on the Arc de Triomphe to celebrate the French presidency, Marine Le Pen saw it as a “real attack on our Nation’s identity.” Two years later, at the launch of the 2024 European campaign, the star-spangled flag was noticeably absent at Jordan Bardella’s meeting. In this context, it is important to mention the trial for misappropriation of public funds in the case of European parliamentary assistants, and how Christophe Barthes’ initiative fits in: after staging his first act as mayor with a Trump-esque flare, holding up a folder decorated with an anti-begging decree, he then displayed the European flag on the balcony of City Hall to replace it with a second French flag. With a concise slogan, “Out with the European flags at city hall! Make way for French flags.” Carcassonne, known for its Citadel, has gained a different kind of reputation in recent weeks.
The attention has not wavered after the shift, especially on the media landscape. This action was condemned by the Democrats group, the European Democratic Party member of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, stating: “When the mayor of Carcassonne [•], lowers the European flag, it is not courage, it is disguised political cowardice as pride. [•] True patriotism does not exclude, it elevates. Making Europe a target is not strength; it is a dangerous retreat that diminishes France where it should lead: in Europe.” The Minister responsible for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, summed up this decision as “populism showing that the National Rally has not changed.”
As for the legal aspect, there is nothing illegal or mandatory about the situation. Christophe Barthes’ desire to honor patriotism by replacing the EU flag with the French flag in the city is not against the law. The display of multiple French flags around town is also not objectionable. It gives a patriotic feel to the city, reminiscent of Bastille Day, although the actual intention behind this patriotic display is unclear. While no specific legislation addresses the display of flags at city halls, the French Constitution specifies the national emblem as the tricolor flag. The Interior Ministry guidance states that flagging public buildings is not compulsory, but it is customary for the national flag to be displayed permanently on their facades. Additionally, the Education Code requires the French and European flags to be displayed on the facades of public and private secondary schools since 2013. Yesterday, both flags flew outside schools in the capital, proving that there is room for both flags to coexist.
