A far-right candidate on Tuesday dropped out of the race for France's parliament over a social media post showing her in a Nazi cap, a party official told French media.
France's anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party led the first round of snap elections on Sunday and is now aiming for an absolute majority in the upcoming runoff.
Other political parties are striving to prevent the far-right from gaining power in France for the first time since the Nazi occupation during World War II.
National Rally candidate
In the northwestern region of Calvados, RN candidate Ludivine Daoudi placed third in her district. However, controversy erupted online after a photo surfaced allegedly showing her wearing a Luftwaffe cap from Nazi Germany.
On Tuesday, local RN party official Philippe Chapron announced on France Bleu radio that Daoudi's candidacy would be withdrawn. "She has not denied anything. She took the photo several years ago," he said, labeling the act as "in bad taste."
Chapron did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment, and efforts to reach Daoudi were unsuccessful.
Emma Fourreau, a left-wing candidate who came second in the district and will compete against a right-wing contender for the parliamentary seat, declared Daoudi's withdrawal a "victory." She mentioned that several sources, including an old friend, had provided the controversial Facebook screenshot, which has since been removed from Daoudi's social media.
🚨Ludivine Daoudi, la candidate du RN sur la 1e circonscription du Calvados, est portée disparue depuis le début de la campagne.
— Emma Fourreau (@emma_frr) July 1, 2024
Quand on regarde ses réseaux sociaux, on comprend mieux pourquoi.
Le 7 juillet, pas une seule voix pour ces immondes fascistes. pic.twitter.com/qRL8hwLZwm
Marine Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate, has attempted to rehabilitate the RN's image. The party, co-founded by a former Waffen-SS member and her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was convicted of Holocaust denial, still faces accusations of racism. "Despite their ties in the National Assembly, it's still a racist party that references Nazi Germany," Fourreau remarked.
(With newswires)
