The vote is expected in April, but the presidential election campaign in France is already starting to flare up.
It was a flag that ignited the hostilities. The blue and starry one of the European Union, which appeared under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, to celebrate the beginning of the French presidency of the EU
The positioning of the banner near one of the symbols of transalpine grandeur has in fact triggered bitter controversy, with the challengers of the outgoing president Emmanuel Macron who all three shouted scandal in chorus.
For Marine Le Pen, leader of the Rassemblement National, it was a "provocation", while for Eric Zemmour, who leads far-right groups, even "an outrage".
Valerie Pecresse, candidate of the Republicans (and Macron's main competitor), spoke instead of an "attack on the identity of France".
For its part, the Elysée, in the voice of the Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune, replied: "We never took off the French flag, the European flag was hoisted where there was nothing". And added: "We do not take patriotism lessons from Mrs le Pen, from Mr Zemmour or from Mrs Pecresse, who has become a far-right copier."
Be that as it may, the disputed banner has now been removed overnight. "On schedule," the government specified. But for many, the removal was somehow forced by the political and media fuss, which heralds an electoral campaign that has also played a lot on the times of Europeanism, as opposed to the ever vibrant nationalism of the transalpine people.
(Unioneonline / lf)
