ISTANBUL

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot criticized mayors from the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party on Tuesday who removed the European flag from town halls.

“This is a betrayal of what we are. The European Union, it is France that wanted it. It is us, to guarantee peace and preserve our independence against growing pressure from empires,” Barrot wrote on US social media company X.​​​​​​​

Barrot said the flag “represents hope, ‘freedom’, ‘justice’ and ‘democracy’, and affirms our determination to control our destiny,” describing it as “also an act of resistance to the brutalization of the world.”

He said national and local identities complement each other within the European framework.

“The conflict between the Chinese and US superpowers is intensifying every day. It threatens our sovereignty and prosperity. It could draw us into wars we did not choose,” Barrot warned.

The French National Assembly approved a bill in 2023 making it mandatory to display French and European flags in municipalities with more than 1,500 residents.

The Senate has yet to examine the proposal on compulsory flag display.​​​​​​​