French Mayors Plan to Raise Palestinian Flags Despite Government Warning
The initiative follows a call by Socialist leader Olivier Faure, though the number of cities that will take part on Monday remains unclear. The Interior Ministry has warned local officials against raising Palestinian banners, citing risks of “importing” the Gaza war into France, Associated Press reported on Sunday.
Mathieu Hanotin, mayor of Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb that hosts the national soccer stadium, confirmed he will fly the Palestinian flag in solidarity. Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland, also a Socialist, said she would do the same. “For municipalities that wish to join, through a symbolic gesture, France’s recognition of the state of Palestine, I believe it makes sense. I will do so without hesitation,” she told France Info.
The Interior Ministry warned the mayors not to do so. “The front of a town hall is not a billboard. Only the tricolor flag — our colors, our values — has the right to be represented in what remains, for us, a common home,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said.
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The decision has sparked criticism. Communist Party spokesman Ian Brossat accused Retailleau of undermining France’s diplomatic stance.
Speaking to BFM TV, he argued that the minister was “contradicting French diplomacy” by opposing flag displays while the president supports recognition of a Palestinian state.
The debate comes as Palestinian leaders press for broader recognition at the U.N., where more than 145 countries already recognize Palestine as a state.
Source: Agencies
