The Carcassonne town hall without European flags, March 20, 2026. NATHALIE AMEN VALS/PHOTOPQR/L'INDEPENDANT/MAXPPP
Carcassonne has taken a page from Donald Trump's playbook. As soon as he took office as mayor of the city, Christophe Barthès rushed to imitate the American president's signature style of signing controversial decrees – much as Trump did upon his return to the White House in January 2025. The Rassemblement National (RN, far right) mayor kicked off his term with an order, issued on Sunday, March 29, that targeted begging. Eager to cement his authority on social media, Barthès posted a video the same day showing himself on the town hall balcony, removing the European flag from the building's façade.
The swearing-in of dozens of new far-right mayors was meant to be low-key and businesslike. At times, though, it proved to be both theatrical and divisive. In Cagnes-sur-Mer (southeastern France, Mayor Bryan Masson); Harnes (northern France, Mayor Anthony Garénaux-Glinkowski); and Canohès (southern France, Mayor Carla Muti), newly elected officials also marked their arrival by taking down the blue flag with 12 gold stars.
"A betrayal of who we are," declared Jean-Noël Barrot, the minister for Europe and foreign affairs, on March 31. The Green MP from Yvelines, Benjamin Lucas-Lundy, mocked the RN's historic appetite for mandates and funds from the European Union: "The European flag bothers them less when it appears on the paychecks for Mr. [Jordan] Bardella's bogus jobs for years, and on the massive misuse of public funds for which Ms. [Marine] Le Pen is currently on trial [the Paris Court of Appeal will render its verdict on July 7]."
