It is a visual where a person appears photographed from behind, dressed in a police uniform. Published Saturday June 1 on the social network don’t risk your life for a sideways look, on June 9 I vote for Jordan Bardella’s list.”
This poster for the European elections provoked the anger of the director of the national gendarmerie, General Christian Rodriguez, who considered the “inadmissible message”. “You seem to be unaware that military status prohibits this type of message. And the least we can expect is for you to respect the gendarme and his status, in these periods when his commitment can lead him to the worst consequences,” said -he lamented on
“The gendarmes respect the duty of reserve in their functions, unlike you, who publicly take on a political movement in the middle of an official campaign,” replied the president of the RN and candidate for the European elections, Jordan Bardella.
Another contentious poster
Asked by AFP, the National Rally considered that the publication was “completely legal”, the image not showing “the face of a gendarme”. “We publish visuals on many professions,” the flame party further argued, with particular reference to another poster bearing the slogan “I am a soldier, I vote Bardella”, illustrated with a close-up of a person in profile wearing a French military uniform, without showing his face.
“Against a European army which would cause us to lose a new part of sovereignty and against the sharing of our nuclear deterrent: on June 9, I am mobilizing and I am going to vote!”, it is written.
As recalled the government Public Service website“the duty of reserve refers to the obligation imposed on all public officials to demonstrate reserve and restraint in the written and oral expression of their personal opinions”, “during and outside working time”.
The Defense Code also provides that “opinions or beliefs, particularly philosophical, religious or political, are free. However, they can only be expressed outside of service and with the reservation required by the military state. This rule applies to all means of expression.”