Le Pen wants an apology from Le Monde and is taking legal action for defamation

On Monday, Le Monde published an article on the terrorist attack of 23 October in Trappes and La Verrière, in which, citing a source close to the investigation, it stated that several leaflets from the Rassemblement National (RN) had been found inside the car of Kevin T., the attacker. The news was particularly sensitive, as it suggested a possible link between the perpetrator of an attack – which investigators believe to have a racist dimension – and the party led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella. A few hours after publication, however, the newspaper of the intellectual left was forced to amend its article following a denial by the national anti-terrorism prosecutor, Olivier Christen, who explicitly stated that “no leaflets from any political party were found in his vehicle”.

Faced with the public prosecutor’s office’s official denial, RN has loudly demanded a public apology from Le Monde, emphasising the seriousness of the fake news that was circulated. “Le Monde has once again lent itself to a militant campaign aimed at discrediting RN. This blatant disinformation campaign leads the French public to question the fundamental issue of objectivity and professional rigour expected of the media during a presidential campaign,” wrote RN’s presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, on X. “We expect a mea culpa and a public apology from the ‘leading newspaper’,” added Jordan Bardella.  In the afternoon, the party announced a defamation lawsuit against Le Monde. So far, the newspaper has merely amended the article by adding the prosecutor’s denial, thereby giving RN the opportunity to attack it and capitalise on the case. It could, however, have brought the matter to a close with a simple gesture: by acknowledging its mistake and offering the apology requested.