Marion Maréchal, an influential French politician and Member of the European Parliament, has spoken out against the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, condemning it as an affront to Christian values. Maréchal, who is the niece of Marine Le Pen, watched the event with her family and expressed her dismay at its content.
Maréchal criticized the ceremony for what she called its “woke propaganda,” pointing to scenes featuring Marie-Antoinette and drag queens as particularly problematic. She also mentioned the performance of the Republican Guard, which she felt was humiliating, as they danced to Aya Nakamura’s music.
Using social media, Maréchal addressed Christians worldwide who might have been offended by the ceremony. She stressed that the provocative content did not reflect the views of the majority of French people but rather those of a “left-wing minority.”
Maréchal’s political career has been marked by her strong opinions on cultural and societal issues. After her aunt’s loss in the 2017 presidential election, she temporarily stepped away from politics but remained active by establishing the Institute of Social, Economic, and Political Sciences (ISSEP) in Lyon. Her critical stance on mass migration and its effects on France has been a consistent theme, gaining her recognition at the 2018 CPAC in the U.S.
In 2022, Maréchal joined Éric Zemmour’s Reconquête Party, a move that distanced her further from her aunt’s National Rally. However, this alliance was short-lived, and she was expelled from the party earlier this year. Now an independent member of the European Parliament, she is part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, led by Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
While it is unclear if Maréchal will return to the National Rally, her recent comments about the Olympics ceremony underscore her dedication to defending traditional values and challenging what she perceives as left-wing provocations.
