Orléans Administrative Tribunal annuls RN victory in Montargis / Defamatory video influenced the vote

The Orléans Administrative Tribunal annulled the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party’s victory in Montargis’s municipal election on Thursday, after determining that a defamatory video broadcast before the second round may have influenced the result.

RN candidate Côme Dunis won the municipal election in March by a margin of just 59 votes, securing 34.64% of the vote. He finished ahead of Communist candidate Bruno Nottin, who received 33.10%, and incumbent right-wing mayor Benoît Digeon, who obtained 32.26%.

The tribunal found that, between the two rounds, a video was circulated on social media accusing Bruno Nottin of falsifying public documents. The judges considered the claims defamatory and noted that they had been widely distributed, including by Côme Dunis. The court concluded that the message could influence voters, particularly given the narrow margin between the candidates.

Nottin and Dalip Vehapi, members of the united left-wing list, challenged the result, citing both the video and the continuation of electoral communications after the official close of the campaign. Dunis resigned as mayor at the beginning of August for medical reasons and was replaced by Dominique Coquelle.

The parties and the prefect of the Loiret department may appeal the decision to the Council of State within one month. If the ruling becomes final, new elections will be held in Montargis within no more than three months.