Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National, stated that if he wins the 2027 presidential election, he would remove the European Union flag from the front steps of the Élysée Palace and Matignon, leaving only the French tricolor. He justified the move by the palace's symbolic role as the «house of the French people». The announcement comes as the RN remains known for its euroscepticism.
Jordan Bardella made the statement on Wednesday during an interview on BFMTV from Brussels. «I think I would leave only the French flag because it is a symbol», he said. He added: «The Élysée has an obviously historical scope, a symbolic one (...) it is the house of the French people».
The Rassemblement National (RN) president, from the eurosceptic party, qualified his remarks: «I want to change everything without destroying anything (...) This is not a return to Frexit». The RN once advocated France's exit from the European Union before shifting to calls for renegotiating treaties.
Bardella will be the RN's candidate in the 2027 presidential election if Marine Le Pen is barred by judicial proceedings. In late March, several RN mayors removed EU flags from their town halls, a move labeled «populism» by the government. «It is their responsibility, they are not under my tutelage», Bardella responded.