Le Pen Demands Sanctions Over Macron MP who Gave Hitler Salute in Parliament

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 6: Leader of France's far-right National Rally Party, Marine Le
Philip Rock/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

Populist French MP Marine Le Pen has called for sanctions to be enacted against a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party who gave a Hitler salute in the French parliament.

Renaissance MP Rémy Rebeyrotte claims that he made the Hitler salute in the parliament toward a member of Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) on July 12th, alleging he made the gesture to show an RN member not to do it, saying “we must not do this” while making the gesture.

Marc Le Fur, a member of parliament for the centre-right Les Republicains (LR), questioned the actions of Mr Rebeyrotte, telling him not to make the gesture again.

Marine Le Pen, head of the RN parliamentary group in the French National Assembly, denounced the actions of the Macron party MP and called for sanctions to be enacted against him, broadcaster BFMTV reports.

Meanwhile, Mr Rebeyrotte stated on a social media post that he had been accosted by three “fascists” at the parliament bar, including the person to whom he made the Nazi salute. He stated he would be pursuing the matter with the office of the National Assembly.

Mr Rebeyrotte is said to regularly heckle members of the RN with various statements telling members “I find you a little national socialist” and stating “it looks like Nuremberg at rush hour.”

Following the national parliamentary elections in France ealrier this year, Marine Le Pen’s National rally was able to increase their seats in the National Assembly from just eight to 89, making the party one of the largest in the chamber.

The election also saw President Macron lose his parliamentary majority, leading to his government requiring broader support from other parties to effectively pass legislation.

Last month, members of Macron’s party expressed interest in working with the RN, such as Minister of Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, who stated, “I doubt that we will be able to find compromises with the RN. I will always continue to fight their ideas. Now, on a number of topics, perhaps. We cannot afford to close ourselves. We must be able to discuss it with everyone.”

Others, however, such as François Patriat, the leader of the Macron group in the French Senate, were less keen to work with Le Pen and her party. “If the RN votes on the government’s texts, of course, it is their problem and their freedom. But I do not see today anyone from the presidential majority discussing with the RN to make compromises, whatever they are,” he said.

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