France’s leading far-right party, the National Rally (RN), has dismissed a policeman from its security detail following the release of body camera footage in which he is heard making racist, homophobic, and sexist comments. The incident has drawn sharp criticism ahead of next year’s presidential election, which the party views as its best opportunity to take power.
The video, recorded in November in the southern city of Carcassonne, was published by the local newspaper Midi Libre on Tuesday. It captures conversations among officers on duty, with the most vocal speaker repeatedly using derogatory language targeting individuals perceived to be of North African or African descent. Midi Libre identified the individual as a member of the RN’s security team.
The disclosure sparked immediate outrage across the political spectrum. Aurore Bergé, the minister responsible for equality in President Emmanuel Macron’s government, condemned the remarks as “absolutely unacceptable.” Gabriel Attal, the former prime minister who has announced his candidacy for the presidency, shared the footage on X, writing that it illustrated the kind of “unrestrained and encouraged hatred” he believed a National Rally-led France would represent.
In response, the National Rally issued a statement denouncing the comments “in the strongest possible terms.” The party described the remarks as “criminally punishable” and stated that they were fundamentally opposed to its values. It confirmed that the officer had been “immediately removed from the ranks of the security team and expelled from the National Rally.”
The Carcassonne prosecutor’s office confirmed that an investigation has been launched, though no further details were provided at this time.
The controversy arises during a critical period for Marine Le Pen, who is seeking the presidency for a fourth time. Despite an appeals court upholding a fraud conviction in July—a verdict she is currently challenging before the country’s highest court—polls indicate she is leading in the first round of the upcoming spring election and remains a significant contender in the second round.
The incident has also reignited broader concerns about rising intolerance. Rights organization Amnesty International warned in April of “worrying” public racist rhetoric and challenges to the rule of law. Additionally, Bally Bagayoko, the newly elected Black mayor of Paris’s largest suburb, has become the target of a far-right hate campaign, while members of the hard-left France Unbowed party, including a deputy speaker, have reported receiving racist letters this year.
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