Several far-right mayors in France have removed European Union flags from their town halls after their recent elections, sparking a backlash from government officials who accused them of populism.
The mayor of Carcassonne, Christophe Barthès, shared a video on social media on Sunday showing himself taking down the EU flag and replacing it with French and Occitan flags, accompanied by the caption: "Out with the European flags! Make way for French flags."
Similar actions have been reported from other newly elected mayors. In Cagnes-sur-Mer, the façade of the town hall was stripped of the European flag on Monday, while Anthony Garénaux-Glinkowski, the mayor of Harnes in northern France, removed EU and Ukrainian flags upon assuming office on 24 March.
Benjamin Haddad, France’s minister for European affairs, criticised the gestures, saying, "Will they also reject EU funds used by our farmers, businesses, and regions for reindustrialisation? Will they return their European Parliament salaries?"
He characterised the acts as populist and evidence of the far-right party's unchanged stance.
In France, there is no legal requirement for municipalities to display the EU flag, except on 9 May, Europe Day. The French Constitution recognises only the national tricolour flag.
A bill aimed at making the display of both French and European flags mandatory for towns with populations over 1,500 was approved by the National Assembly in 2023. However, it remains under consideration by the French Senate.
Earlier this year, several rural town halls also removed EU flags to support farmers protesting a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries.
