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Vassal Echoes Vichy-Era Slogan in Marseille Debate, Then Seeks to Clarify

The flap raises stakes for runoff alliances in a three-way race that polling shows led by Benoît Payan over Franck Allisio with Martine Vassal third.

Martine Vassal et les valeurs.
« Travail, famille, patrie ». La candidate LR à la mairie de Marseille a repris à son compte, jeudi 19 février, la devise imposée par le maréchal Pétain.
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La dédiabolisation du RN joue en faveur du candidat du parti dans la cité phocéenne. Ici, Allisio et Marine Le Pen lors d’un meeting le 16 janvier.

Overview

  • During a BFMTV–Le Figaro–La Provence debate at the Palais de la Bourse, Martine Vassal listed “le mérite, le travail, la famille, la patrie” as her values, matching the Vichy-era motto.
  • Vassal later posted on X that her values are “merit, family, work, humanity and solidarity,” rejecting any comparison to Pétain and framing the controversy as an unjust attack.
  • Benoît Payan immediately flagged the phrase as Pétain’s slogan on stage, Sébastien Delogu said he was outraged, and RN candidate Franck Allisio stated he would not use the Pétainist motto.
  • Allisio publicly proposed a second-round union with Vassal to block the left, and Vassal refused, reiterating that she has always opposed the RN.
  • An Elabe–Berger Levrault poll for BFMTV/Le Figaro/La Provence puts Payan at about 31%, Allisio 29%, Vassal 21% and Delogu 12%, underscoring the importance of potential second-round deals before the March 15 and 22 votes.