France Prefect reprimands mayor after taking down Macron portrait
The mayor of one of the poorest cities in France has taken down the portrait of President Emmanuel Macron in his office in protest against social inequality. He was admonished by the prefect.
07.05.2026, 02:32
SDA
The new left-wing mayor of the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko, said in a television interview that he had placed the presidential portrait upside down in a corner of his office "as long as the Republic is unable to eliminate inequalities". According to official statistics, 38 percent of households in the city of 150,000 live below the poverty line.
Although the mayor said it was a symbolic gesture, he promptly received a letter from the prefect of the Seine-Saint-Denis department, to which his city belongs. Prefect Julien Charles wrote that there is no binding regulation to hang the portrait of the president in the town hall. However, like the French flag, it is a symbol of the Republic that should unite citizens behind their institutions, regardless of political differences. His gesture violates this good custom.
Prefect urges respect for "republican tradition"
In this respect, "I invite you to reconsider your position and, as mayor, to ensure respect for the republican tradition", the prefect warned in his letter, which he made public on the X platform. He was met with protest from a number of users. "Dear Mr. Prefect, not letting children sleep on the street is also part of the republican tradition. I would be grateful if you would act in the spirit of this tradition," commented one reader.
Environmentalists in France have already learned in the past that it is better not to hang a portrait of the president from the wall for the purpose of political protest. They were prosecuted for not only taking Macron's portrait off the wall, but also removing it from the town hall. However, the Paris Court of Cassation later cautioned the lower courts as to whether it was really necessary to condemn the activists or whether this would not restrict freedom of expression too much.
New mayor the target of racism
Only six weeks ago, Bagayoko, who belongs to the French left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI), was elected mayor of the immigrant-dominated suburb of Saint-Denis, a symbolic victory for his party. Immediately after his election, the new black mayor became the target of racist insults, including on a right-wing TV station. As a result, Bagayoko called for a rally against racism at the beginning of April, which was attended by around 6,000 people.
