Jordan Bardella condemns racist remarks by Carcassonne police officer following video leak

Body camera recording published

The regional daily newspaper Midi Libre published body camera footage on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, exposing slurs spoken by municipal police officers in Carcassonne. The statements, which included racist epithets such as "nègres", "singes", "bougnoules", and "bicots", as well as sexist, homophobic, and anti-left insults, were accidentally recorded by an officer's body camera during a patrol in November 2025. The video subsequently circulated internally among personnel at the municipal police station. A brigadier-chief involved in the recording filed a formal legal complaint alleging invasion of privacy over the distribution of the footage, which prompted a preliminary judicial inquiry in Carcassonne.

Judicial inquiry and administrative inspections

Carcassonne public prosecutor Géraldine Labialle opened an investigation for criminal defamation directed against a group of persons based on their origin. On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, the prosecutor's office applied statutory provisions to suspend four implicated municipal police officers and begin withdrawing their official accreditations for failing honorability requirements. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that the General Inspection of the Administration will conduct an operational review of the Carcassonne municipal police department. Nuñez denounced the recorded statements, calling them unworthy of the municipal police uniform and of republican values.

“Those people are dangerous and irresponsible. They cast suspicion on the entire municipal police force. It is obviously an isolated case.”

Rassemblement National expels security officer

The Rassemblement National announced the immediate expulsion of the implicated brigadier-chief from the party and from all volunteer functions within its security service on Wednesday. The officer had previously served on the security detail protecting RN president Jordan Bardella during a party visit to Carcassonne. Speaking on Friday, 11 September 2026, at the Beaucroissant agricultural fair in Isère, Bardella condemned the statements as criminal and unacceptable for any uniform-wearing officer.

“We are not responsible for everything that happens in France.”

Bardella told reporters that the officer had been originally hired by the city's previous right-wing administration. He argued that the former Les Républicains municipal leadership noticed the recording in November 2025 without issuing suspensions.

Scrutiny over disciplinary timeline

Bardella defended the actions of Carcassonne Mayor Christophe Barthès, an RN member elected to office in March 2026. Bardella maintained that the municipal government took decisive action as soon as party leadership learned of the recording.

“From the moment we became aware of these remarks, the RN mayor of Carcassonne, Christophe Barthès, immediately suspended this officer.”

Reporters in Isère questioned Bardella on why the municipality waited until September to suspend the agents when an internal investigation report was delivered to Barthès in May 2026. Bardella did not respond to questions regarding the four-month delay between receiving the internal inquiry report and suspending the officers.