During a televised debate on BFMTV Thursday evening, candidate Martine Vassal claimed values including «work, family, homeland», the Vichy regime's slogan, prompting Benoît Payan's reaction calling it Pétain's motto. The outgoing mayor also stated he would withdraw from the race if he trailed Sébastien Delogu in the first round to block the RN. One month before the municipal elections, a poll places Payan ahead with 31% of voting intentions.
The televised debate organized on BFMTV, in partnership with Le Figaro and La Provence, brought together Thursday evening the main candidates for the Marseille mayoralty in the 2026 municipal elections. Among them were Benoît Payan, outgoing mayor from Printemps marseillais, Martine Vassal from bloc central-LR, Franck Allisio from RN-UDR, and Sébastien Delogu from LFI.
During the exchange, Martine Vassal, president of the Bouches-du-Rhône department and the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis, listed her unchanged values throughout her political career: «It’s merit, work, family, homeland». This statement surprised Benoît Payan, who asked the candidate to repeat. «I think you said ‘work, family, homeland’?», he questioned. «Yes», Vassal replied. «It’s Mr. Pétain’s slogan», Payan retorted with dismay, noting that «Work, family, homeland» was the official motto of the French State under the Vichy regime.
Martine Vassal stood firm: «It’s my slogan and these are my values», adding «And merit too! And work too! And family too! That’s how it is». The other candidates watched the scene with amusement.
Earlier in the debate, Benoît Payan stated he would withdraw if he trailed Sébastien Delogu in the first round: «Yes», he answered moderator Apolline de Malherbe, though he nuanced by mentioning science fiction to express skepticism about that scenario. Delogu had affirmed he «will do everything to block» the RN.
Three weeks before the first round scheduled for March 15 and 22, 2026, an Elabe/Berger-Levrault poll for BFMTV, La Provence, and Le Figaro, conducted from February 9 to 16 among 1032 people, credits Payan with 31% of voting intentions, Allisio with 29%, Vassal with 21%, and Delogu with 12%. In 2020, Vassal lost to the left after 25 years of LR rule under Jean-Claude Gaudin.
