Florian Philippot

On 4 March 2022, a few days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Florian Philippot wrote that he refused to 'idolise the Ukrainian President and the Nazis in Ukraine', while calling for NATO to be dissolved. The wording was strongly criticised because it echoed the 'denazification' rhetoric used by Vladimir Putin to justify the invasion.

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Personally implicated

Florian Philippot made opposition to health policy and the health pass the central focus of his political activity in 2021, organising and leading regular rallies. He claimed that the health pass would cause numerous deaths and that parliamentarians voting for it would have 'blood on their hands'.

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Directly implicated

In November 2021, Florian Philippot shared figures from an ATIH report, claiming that only 2 % of hospitalisations in 2020 were linked to COVID-19 and using these data to downplay the epidemic's pressure on hospitals. AFP Factuel concluded that this interpretation was misleading: the annual average reflected neither epidemic peaks, nor lengths of stay, nor the burden on intensive care, and the 5 % figure attributed to intensive care was inaccurate.

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Personally implicated

After leaving Les Patriotes, MEP Sophie Montel filed a complaint against Florian Philippot and an assistant for use of forged documents, claiming that her signature had been forged on a delegation allowing European Parliament communications budgets to be pooled. She also referred a complaint against persons unknown to the PNF and OLAF for forgery, use of forged documents and embezzlement of public funds, questioning more than 20 000 euros spent on 'promotional gadgets', including canvas bags.

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Accused

During the investigation into the Front national's European parliamentary assistants, Florian Philippot likened the Office central de lutte contre la corruption et les infractions financières et fiscales to a 'political police force' and suggested a possible corruption system explaining leaks to the press. Interior Minister Matthias Fekl filed a defamation complaint.

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Personally implicated

During an interview on 'C à vous' in March 2017, a numerical disagreement over the defence budget escalated into a personal confrontation. Florian Philippot suggested that Anne-Sophie Lapix ask her teams for better briefing notes; the journalist described the remark as sexist, while Philippot accused her of arrogance and contempt.

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Personally implicated

Following the 2017 presidential election, Florian Philippot developed his association Les Patriotes while remaining a Front national vice-president responsible for strategy and communications. FN officials denounced a political conflict of interest, believing that he was using his position to promote his own organisation. Marine Le Pen asked him to resign as president of the association, then stripped him of his responsibilities. Philippot left the FN on 21 September 2017.

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Direct responsibility

Following statements in January 2015 accusing Qatar of financing Islamism or terrorism, Florian Philippot was the subject of defamation proceedings in France brought at Qatar's request. The French authorities requested that his European parliamentary immunity be lifted.

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Personally implicated

In December 2014, Closer published photographs of Florian Philippot with a man described as his partner, publicly revealing his homosexuality. Philippot brought legal proceedings for invasion of privacy. The magazine's order to pay him 20 000 euros in damages was upheld by the Paris Court of Appeal in June 2015.

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Documented

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist is the victim