Nathalie Arthaud

Following the death of identitarian activist Quentin Deranque in Lyon, Nathalie Arthaud said she found the death 'horrific', then denounced political exploitation of the case to attack La France insoumise and the radical left. Lutte ouvrière described the events as a fight between far-right and antifascist activists and referred to a 'vile campaign' benefiting the far right.

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Directly implicated

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

In her 2026 speeches, Nathalie Arthaud reaffirmed that her programme remained that of the Communist Manifesto: expropriation of the major bourgeoisie, 'confiscation without compensation or buyout' of its capital, common ownership of major means of production and transition to communism. She named major fortunes and capitalist groups.

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Personally implicated

In 2026, Nathalie Arthaud reaffirmed a radically open position on migration: regularisation of all undocumented migrants, an end to deportations and 'freedom of movement and settlement for every human being on this planet'. She presents the abolition of borders as an internationalist objective.

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Personally implicated

After publication of the investigative book La Meute on the operation of La France insoumise and the influence of Mélenchon and Chikirou, Nathalie Arthaud was one of the few external supporters of LFI. She wrote that 'the pack gathering on the left against Mélenchon is well trained and ridiculous' and that his critics primarily wanted to take his place.

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Asked about the 2027 presidential election, Nathalie Arthaud said she hoped for 'widespread uprisings well before 2027' and argued that collective workers' mobilisation should precede and extend beyond the election.

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Personally implicated

Nathalie Arthaud accused the French government of being 'complicit in the genocidal policy in Gaza', described an 'extermination war' waged by Benjamin Netanyahu and praised dockworkers in Fos-sur-Mer who refused to load military components destined for Israel.

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Alleged

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Personally implicated

Nathalie Arthaud stated that religions were obstacles to women's emancipation and described the headscarf as an expression of sexist pressure, attracting accusations of Islamophobia from parts of the radical left. At the same time, she stated that she was 'absolutely opposed' to any ban on headscarves in public spaces.

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Personally implicated

In an interview about community tensions and violence, Nathalie Arthaud accused the highest levels of the state of conducting a 'racist and xenophobic' campaign against foreigners, immigrants and Muslims, stated that 'this campaign kills' and argued that responsibility for urban violence lay primarily with the government and its social policies.

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Personally implicated

Responding to Chief of Defence Staff Fabien Mandon, who had spoken of the need to prepare French people for sacrifices in the event of war, Nathalie Arthaud quoted a historic passage from The Internationale: 'they will soon know that our bullets are for our own generals'. She also accused Emmanuel Macron and Mandon of preparing war 'at other people's expense'.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

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Personally implicated

Following the antisemitic attack in Sydney, Nathalie Arthaud called it a 'horrific antisemitic attack', then compared the perpetrators' 'disregard for life' with what she attributed to leaders such as Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Emmanuel Macron. The analogy prompted controversy and accusations of relativising the attack.

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Personally implicated

Heading Lutte ouvrière's European election list, Nathalie Arthaud described the European Union as a 'free-for-all between brigands' and maintained that it had been 'created by and for the interests of capitalists'. She called on European workers to change the balance of social power rather than await better institutional management of the EU.

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Personally implicated

In an editorial published after the attacks of 7 October 2023, Nathalie Arthaud condemned Hamas's policy and its disregard for civilian lives, while describing Israel's policy towards Gaza as 'state terrorism' and denouncing the confinement of Palestinians.

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Personally implicated

Following the first rounds of the 2017 and 2022 elections, Nathalie Arthaud refused to join a 'republican front' supporting Emmanuel Macron against Marine Le Pen and announced that she would cast a blank ballot. At the same time, she called for rejection of the Front national/Rassemblement national and criticised Macron as an opponent of working people.

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Personally implicated

Nathalie Arthaud denounced the vaccine pass as a 'political diversion' and argued that unvaccinated people were being used as 'scapegoats' to conceal shortcomings in hospitals. She also criticised pressure placed on certain workers.

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Personally implicated

At the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Nathalie Arthaud condemned Vladimir Putin's responsibility and described him as a dictator, while denouncing the 'overwhelming responsibility' of the United States, NATO and Western powers. She described Ukraine as the scene of rivalry between Washington and Moscow, declined a government meeting at Matignon and opposed economic sanctions on Russia, considering that they would primarily harm Russian workers.

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Personally implicated

During the 2022 presidential election, Nathalie Arthaud refused to make the choice of 'phasing out nuclear power or retaining it' a standalone policy issue and did not sign the Sortir du nucléaire network's manifesto. She argued that the main danger lay in capitalist management and the pursuit of profit within the sector rather than the technology in isolation.

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Directly implicated

Nathalie Arthaud's 2022 presidential accounts were approved following adjustments. The main documented correction concerned two SNCF refunds totalling €1,255 which should have reduced transport expenditure. The final accounts were set at €891,903 in income and €889,844 in expenditure.

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Directly implicated

The day after the Champs-Élysées attack, Nathalie Arthaud declared that 'imperialist powers, including France, are responsible' for terrorism, linking the conditions fostering it to Western interventions and alliances in the Middle East. She also opposed proposals to arm the police more heavily.

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Personally implicated

The CNCCFP approved Nathalie Arthaud's 2017 campaign accounts following adjustments. These concerned travel costs incurred too early while seeking sponsorship signatures, documents combining the presidential campaign with party activities and an adjustment relating to software. The final accounts recorded €959,286 in income and €956,121 in expenditure.

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Directly implicated

During the 2012 presidential campaign, Nathalie Arthaud wrote that Israeli government policy was turning Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, into 'open-air concentration camps'. The Union of Jewish Students of France condemned the analogy as excessive and historically inappropriate.

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Personally implicated

The CNCCFP approved Nathalie Arthaud's 2012 presidential campaign accounts following several adjustments. It notably deducted expenditure on the festive portions of Lutte ouvrière banquets and celebrations, reclassified press review costs and excluded various non-electoral expenses or expenditure outside the authorised period. The final accounts were set at €1,010,621 in income and €1,010,391 in expenditure.

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Documented

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Directly implicated

Before Nathalie Arthaud became national spokesperson, Lutte ouvrière was already subject to public allegations of secrecy, extreme centralisation and 'sect-like' operation. In the resulting litigation, courts accepted that certain very harsh descriptions fell within political debate, while a separate accusation of illegal financing through commercial companies was found defamatory.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Personally implicated