The intersection of race and politics has become increasingly fraught, shaped by a public discourse in which media and political actors often normalize polarizing and inflammatory language around race, policy, and identity. In France, this dynamic is particularly visible in the rhetoric of far-right media and politicians, who argue that politics itself is actively reshaping racial categories and perceptions.

Lately, a French mayor of Sahelian African descent faced racist insults that are currently being investigated. The hate speech he faced reflects the rise of far-right ideology ahead of next year’s unprecedented and crucial presidential election.

Bally Bagayoko, a member of La France Insoumise (LFI), was elected as the mayor of Saint-Denis in the 2026 French municipal elections. Saint-Denis is 8 to 10 kilometers (5 to 7 miles) from the center of Paris, in the Ile-de-France region, which is the second-largest region in France, and represents 18.8% of France’s metropolitan population. For the first time, the commune, which is home to 130 nationalities, has a mayor who reflects its community, a child of the city and the son of a Malian immigrant family. However, Bagayoko was targeted with racist insults after winning the mayoralty.

Elevation of race parameters

Following the elections, Bagayoko was allegedly referred to with racist comparisons, including references to "apes" and "tribal chiefs," by guests on a debate show on the far-right network CNews. The channel, along with many other media outlets, is owned by the Catholic conservative businessman Vincent Bollore, who has been compared to Rupert Murdoch in shaping media influence in France and beyond.

Being another far-right embarrassment for France, these racist comments provoked strong reactions. Thousands of anti-racism activists attended a rally in support of Bagayoko.

Meanwhile, the media campaign against him was followed by another controversy involving LFI European lawmaker Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian lawyer and politician, and a vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause in France. She was reportedly accused of "glorifying terrorism" and taken into custody as part of an investigation.

Bagayoko and Hassan’s stories reflect what some describe as a breakdown in mainstream media standards and the rise of inflammatory discourse driven by hate speech and Islamophobia. A sense of ostracism is increasingly directed at politicians of Arab and Sub-Saharan African descent, with attempts to demonize voices critical of the political and media establishment, particularly within far-right media and political circles.

Far-right media ostracism

France is experiencing a rise in systemic racism that risks undermining its values regarding human rights, dragging the country back toward the dark years of the 1940s, specifically the Vichy

fascist regime (1940-1944) led by Marshal Philippe Petain. A country that is losing its image, reputation and prestige in Africa and across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Hence, Bagayoko’s election resonated throughout the country, raising awareness among younger generations of Arabs and Sub-Saharan Africans, who are now celebrating his rise nationally as his story has reached international media.

However, this story did not resonate much within the Élysée Palace. The French president appears focused on geopolitical and economic issues shaping the world order, where France’s voice on the world stage is perceived by some as increasingly limited, despite President Emmanuel Macron’s MENA diplomacy approach.

This approach is contributing to France’s position on complex issues such as the Palestinian question. In these issues, public mobilization through peaceful demonstrations, petition campaigns and seminars is building broad coalitions with human rights organizations, trade unions and left-wing parties, and adopting a legal and human rights discourse focused on freedom of expression, a principle that France has historically promoted in Africa and across the MENA region. Yet far-right media and politicians today argue the opposite, promoting rhetoric centered on racial/religious identity and ideological confrontation and rejecting multicultural tolerance.

France in the 21st century must no longer tolerate hate speech in the public sphere. Those who trivialize racism through arrogance and ignorance should be held accountable.

The country is on the eve of a crucial presidential election, in which anti-Arab and anti-African sentiment may increasingly shape the rhetoric of far-right candidates who believe their time has come to govern. However, such divide-and-rule tactics targeting Arabs and Sahelian Africans in France are likely to fail.