A senior leader of France’s hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party is facing criticism after claiming that France was never a “white” or “Christian” country, dismissing such descriptions as a fantasy promoted by the political right.
Mathilde Panot, who leads the parliamentary group of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s LFI party in France’s National Assembly, made the remarks during an interview with Le Média, where she argued that the political left must refuse to concede any ground to its opponents on issues such as immigration, multiculturalism, and national identity.
According to Panot, accepting any of the longstanding premises she characterizes as right-wing talking points only helps make those ideas more socially acceptable.
“The right fantasizes about a France that does not exist and has never existed,” Panot said. “A supposedly ‘white’ France, a ‘Christian’ France… a France being ‘invaded.'”
She argued that France’s identity has never matched the vision advanced by nationalist and anti-immigration movements and said the left should reject what she described as the “ideological framework” of the far right.
The comments have reignited debate over France’s cultural identity at a time when immigration has become one of the most contentious issues in French politics.
Christianity has played a central role in French history for more than 1,500 years. France’s conversion to Christianity is traditionally traced back to the baptism of King Clovis I in the late fifth century, and for centuries the country was often referred to as the “eldest daughter of the Church” because of its close relationship with Catholicism.
While modern France is officially secular and religious observance has declined significantly in recent decades, many argue that dismissing the country’s Christian heritage altogether amounts to denying a fundamental part of French history.
The dispute comes amid a broader political realignment over immigration. Public concern about migration levels has expanded beyond traditional conservative and nationalist circles, with politicians across much of the political spectrum increasingly calling for tighter controls.
Even figures on the left have begun expressing concerns about the economic and social consequences of large-scale immigration. François Ruffin, a former ally of Mélenchon who previously belonged to the same political movement, recently argued that limiting immigration could help protect wages and improve conditions for French workers.
Meanwhile, several prominent figures associated with President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist movement have also shifted toward more restrictive immigration positions. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin have both called for significant reductions in immigration in recent weeks, reflecting the growing political salience of the issue ahead of France’s next presidential election.
Panot and Mélenchon, however, have largely moved in the opposite direction.
The LFI movement has embraced what it describes as a vision of a “New France” rooted in multiculturalism and demographic change. Critics noted that in her championing of a “New France,” she’s ironically admitting the very differences between the old France that she denies. Mélenchon has repeatedly praised the concept of “creolization” — the blending of cultures and populations through immigration — and has argued that France is being transformed by the arrival of millions of newcomers, particularly from former French colonies in North Africa.
That message has helped the party build a strong base of support in heavily immigrant and minority-populated areas, especially in the Seine-Saint-Denis department outside Paris, one of the most diverse regions in the country.
The debate also reflects a deeper divide over how French history should be understood. Critics of Panot’s remarks argue that acknowledging France’s historical identity as a predominantly white, Christian nation is not the same thing as advocating ethnic nationalism or opposing immigration.
The controversy highlights the growing tension between two competing visions of France: one that emphasizes historical continuity, national traditions, and cultural heritage, and another that sees demographic and cultural transformation as a natural and positive evolution of French society.
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France is falling because of their collective Look-At-Me-See-How-Nice-I-Am Syndrome. France is destroying France.