“Anti-fascism is once again entering the institutions,” rejoices this 29-year-old from Lyon, elected on Sunday as a deputy in the 1st constituency of Vaucluse.
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The rebellious deputies returned to the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 9. This was an opportunity for the new members to find their bearings just two days after their election. It was also an opportunity to discover some new faces that are still unknown to the general public. And among them, there is one who caused a lot of talk during the campaign: Raphaël Arnault, elected in the 1st constituency of Vaucluse and an anti-fascist activist with the S file.
Wearing a beige suit and a white shirt, it is a serene 29-year-old man with a smile on his face who enters the Assembly. “I am very calm, he assures, I come here calmly as I always have been. I observe and we will get to work very quickly.”
The MP feels “a huge pride because it is a year in which anti-fascism is once again entering institutions.” Fascism, the fight of a lifetime for this Lyonnais, social worker and spokesperson for the Young Guard movement. But if we have heard a lot about him, it is because he is listed S. Raphaël Arnault refutes any aggression and assures us, “There is a lot of confusion surrounding these files, there is more and more profiling of activists, which is why I am being targeted.” Anti-fascist activist Raphaël Arnault was sentenced in February 2022 to a four-month suspended prison sentence for “group violence”, a decision he says he has appealed.
The MP wants to change his image and also wishes to continue his fight against the extreme right, in particular “to highlight all the links with the National Rally and the far-right militias. I will never leave an inch possible for far-right ideas“, he concludes.
Although his election did not please everyone, he was defended by other rebellious deputies, notably Ugo Bernalicis. “You know, if I had not been elected as a deputy, I would also have been listed as an S, he assures. They have an easy S file these days, all you have to do is go and demonstrate in Sainte-Soline. I know he’s going to be a brilliant MP.” There is less enthusiasm on the MoDem Erwan Balanant side. “If he is listed as S, it is because he must not have only written poetry. That raises questions.”
As a reminder, being listed as an S is not a criterion for ineligibility: it means that the person concerned may endanger “state security”, but does not imply any legal proceedings.