Assistant to National Rally MP dismissed over controversial posts

French politician Lisette Pollet, an MP for the right-wing National Rally (RN), made an immediate decision to dismiss her parliamentary assistant, Vincent Claudin. The direct cause was journalistic revelations by the Mediapart portal, which revealed that Claudin had been running anonymous accounts on platform X. From these accounts, he posted content described as racist, homophobic, and antisemitic. Information about the dismissal was made public overnight from Tuesday, February 24 to Wednesday, February 25, 2026, via a statement published by Pollet on X. In her statement, the MP from the Drôme department stated that the separation occurred "following the publication, on his personal social media accounts, of several messages whose content contradicts the values, principles, and line of conduct that [she] upholds." She also added that she "firmly condemns these statements," emphasizing that responsibility for them lies solely with their author. The reaction from party colleagues was equally firm. Another RN parliamentarian, Jean-Philippe Tanguy, in an interview with radio station RTL, described the revealed posts as "unforgivable" and confirmed they were published from accounts concealing identity. Under its current leadership, the National Rally has for years pursued a political "normalization" aimed at cleansing the party's image of accusations of racism and antisemitism that weighed on it during the time of its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen. Incidents like the current one pose a serious challenge to this strategy.The figure of Vincent Claudin does not appear in this context for the first time. Previously, media identified him as a member of the far-right group Lyon Populai. Furthermore, Claudin was publicly associated with Quentin Deranque, a controversial YouTuber and online creator with far-right views, presenting himself as one of his "best friends." This connection further complicates matters for RN, a party attempting to distance itself from more radical elements. Pollet's swift decision to dismiss Claudin is seen as a preventive action aimed at limiting reputational damage. The grouping strives to avoid situations where its members or associates are accused of extremism. Meanwhile, Vincent Claudin himself has not publicly commented on either the allegations or his dismissal. The case reveals ongoing tension in French politics between the mainstream right and more radical circles with which it has historically been associated. It is also a test for the internal control and vigilance mechanisms of political parties regarding their own activists and employees.„Cette séparation fait suite à la publication, sur ses réseaux sociaux personnels, de plusieurs messages dont le contenu est en contradiction avec les valeurs, les principes et la ligne de conduite que je défends.” (This separation follows the publication, on his personal social media accounts, of several messages whose content contradicts the values, principles, and line of conduct that I uphold.) — Lisette Pollet