In a shocking turn of events, Ludivine Daoudi, a candidate for France's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party, is set to withdraw from the second round of parliamentary elections following the emergence of a controversial photograph. The image, which circulated on social media, shows Daoudi wearing a Nazi-era Luftwaffe cap adorned with a swastika.
🚨Ludivine Daoudi, la candidate du RN sur la 1e circonscription du Calvados, est portée disparue depuis le début de la campagne.
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
— Emma Fourreau (@emma_frr) July 1, 2024
Philippe Chapron, head of the local RN branch, confirmed the decision in an interview with France Bleu Normandie on Tuesday. "The candidacy will be withdrawn as of today," Chapron stated, indicating that the decision came directly from RN headquarters.
Daoudi had initially secured her place in the runoff after garnering 19.95% of the vote on Sunday, June 30, in Normandy's 1st constituency of Calvados. However, the emergence of the controversial photograph abruptly halted her campaign.
According to Chapron, Daoudi doesn't deny the authenticity of the image. He explained, "She took the photo several years ago at an arms market" in Normandy. The revelation has sparked widespread condemnation and raised questions about the vetting process for political candidates.
The photograph was first shared by Emma Fourreau, a candidate for the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire alliance, who finished second in the constituency with 34.82% of the votes. Fourreau posted the image on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), along with a pointed message: "Ludivine Daoudi, the RN candidate for the 1st constituency of Calvados, has been missing since the start of the campaign. When you look at her social media, it's easy to understand why."
This incident is not isolated within the RN party. Throughout the electoral campaign, several RN candidates have faced scrutiny for posting racist, antisemitic, and insulting messages on social media platforms. These revelations have cast a shadow over the party's attempts to distance itself from its controversial past and present a more mainstream image to French voters.
As the second round of the French parliamentary elections approaches, this development is likely to impact the political landscape in the Calvados region and potentially influence voter perceptions of the Rassemblement National on a national scale.
