In the lead-up to the local elections in France, candidates from the far-right alliance, including the National Rally (RN), have been criticized for their racist remarks and support for extremist ideologies. An analysis from the daily newspaper Libération found that one in ten candidates from the RN and its allied party had made offensive comments relating to racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, and conspiracy theories, totaling around 100 candidates. This information comes from a report released by the French Ministry of the Interior regarding the past actions and statements of the election candidates. The upcoming elections on the 15th will determine local mayors and city councilors, making the implications of these findings particularly noteworthy.

The report highlighted that the most common form of hate speech among candidates was racism. Notably, far-right candidate Stéphane Ferry openly advocates for the expulsion of non-white individuals and supported the illegal repatriation of illegal immigrants. His comments included derogatory references targeting people of North African descent, showcasing a broader pattern of racial hatred among candidates. Other examples include Monique Griseri from the Marseille area, who insulted a popular Congolese singer, and Fernand Bovillain, who made violent comments against the black French soccer star Kylian Mbappé, underscoring the blatant racism embedded within the far-right discourse.

Conspiracy theories, particularly related to vaccines and public health, also featured prominently among these candidates. Sophie Manic, a candidate from Lorient with a nursing background, propagated false claims about chemtrails being used to sterilize the population. The combination of grounded racism, violent rhetoric, and pseudoscientific conspiracy theories paints a disturbing picture of the dangerous ideologies that are gaining traction within French local politics, further emphasizing the need for societal awareness in the approach to upcoming elections.