Are the French removing the EU flag from public buildings and is it illegal?

French citizens are tearing down the EU emblem from municipality halls and schools to reclaim their state from Brussels, according to a viral X station that is fuelling a long-running anti-EU communicative depicting the bloc arsenic "tyrannical".

The station shows a video adjacent to a representation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In the video we spot a antheral taking down an EU emblem that had been flying alongside the French and Occitan flags.

A reverse representation hunt of the video leads america to the X relationship of Christophe Barthès, the newly-elected politician of Carcassonne and a subordinate of the far-right National Rally party, who posted the clip to his illustration connected 29 March.

"Out with the European flags astatine the municipality hall, successful with the French flags!" helium said.

The Carcassonne mayor's bureau did not respond to our petition for remark arsenic of the clip of publishing.

Nevertheless, the video is authentic and reflects Barthès's Eurosceptic views, which are emblematic of the National Rally successful general. However, it's misleading to suggest that an anti-EU emblem question has swept done France.

French Response, an X relationship tally by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tackling disinformation, responded to the viral post, saying, "1 retired of 34874 municipalities is hardly 'France'."

Other newly-elected National Rally mayors person since done the same, specified arsenic Carla Muti successful Canohès, adjacent Perpignan.

Do municipality halls legally person to alert the European flag?

The communicative has besides prompted misleading claims astir whether flying European flags from nationalist buildings successful France is legally required.

Some societal media users reason a 2019 instrumentality forces municipality halls successful communes with much than 1,500 inhabitants to alert the French and European flags, arsenic good arsenic show France's nationalist motto ("liberté, égalité, fraternité") and a representation of the president.

However, there's presently nary French instrumentality requiring municipality halls to show the European flag. Those that person up until present person done truthful arsenic a substance of customized alternatively than immoderate ineligible obligation.

A measure to marque it mandatory to alert the European emblem was voted done by the French parliament's National Assembly successful 2023, but the Senate hasn't followed suit, leaving it stuck.

In fact, the aforesaid measure would besides unit them to alert the French flag, arsenic adjacent this is not legally required astatine the moment.

As things stand, the celebrated French tricolour emblem lone needs to beryllium flown during nationalist ceremonies, erstwhile welcoming overseas heads of authorities oregon government, oregon erstwhile it needs to beryllium hung astatine half-mast during times of authoritative mourning, according to France's Ministry of the Interior.

A authorities directive specifies that the French emblem should instrumentality the "place of honour", meaning the European should beryllium connected the close from the building's position and appearing connected the near to a spectator lasting successful the street.

Nevertheless, determination is different authorities directive saying that the EU emblem indispensable beryllium flown connected Europe Day, 9 May, and a instrumentality that says schools person to alert some the European and French flags each the time.

The 2013 "Peillon law" says that the French motto, the France's tricolour emblem and the European emblem indispensable beryllium displayed connected the facades of nationalist and backstage secondary schools and acquisition establishments.

The 'EU flag' is really the emblem of Europe arsenic a whole

The removal of the European emblem is often seen arsenic a flimsy against the European Union, but the emblem really finds its origins successful the abstracted Council of Europe.

The pan-European quality rights organisation, which counts 46 members compared to the EU's 27, adopted the bluish emblem with 12 stars arsenic a awesome to correspond the continent successful 1955.

The European Communities, a precursor to the European Union, lone took connected the emblem itself astir 30 years later, pursuing a ballot by the European Parliament successful 1983 and support by the European Council successful 1985. It was officially inaugurated successful 1986.

As such, portion the emblem is astir commonly associated with and utilized to correspond the EU, it inactive technically covers a fig of countries extracurricular the bloc and the continent arsenic a whole.