Raphaël Arnault

Raphaël Arnault
Arnault in 2024
Member of the National Assembly
for Vaucluse's 1st constituency
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 July 2024
Preceded byCatherine Jaouen
Personal details
Born (1995-01-08) 8 January 1995
Lyon, France
PartyLa France Insoumise (2024–present)
Other political
affiliations
New Anticapitalist Party (until 2024)

Raphaël Archenault (French pronunciation: [ʁafaɛl aʁʃəno]; born 8 January 1995), known as Raphaël Arnault ([aʁno]), is a French far-left activist and politician who has represented Vaucluse's 1st constituency in the National Assembly since 2024.[1][2] A member of La France Insoumise (LFI), he co-founded the Jeune Garde Antifasciste collective in 2018 and was one of its spokespersons. The collective grew close to LFI before it was outlawed for its violence by the government in 2025.[3][4] In 2022, Arnault was found guilty of violent behaviour following an assault in 2021.[5]

Early life and activism

A native of Lyon, Arnault became politically active during the 2016 protests against the El Khomri law.[6] He was a member of the New Anticapitalist Party and ran under its label in Rhône's 2nd constituency in 2022, placing fourth in the first round.[7] In 2018, he co-founded the anti-fascist collective Jeune Garde Antifasciste in Lyon and became one of its spokespersons until the group's dissolution on 12 June 2025.[3][4][8]

In February 2022 Arnault was convicted in first instance by a Lyon court of voluntary grouped violence ("violences volontaires en réunion") for an assault that occurred in April 2021 in Lyon; he was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence. He initially appealed the judgment but later withdrew his appeal in 2025.[5][9]

In May 2024 Arnault was questioned by police regarding an October 2023 communiqué that initially referred to Hamas as a "resistance movement" and was later withdrawn the same day.[10]

Political career

In the 2024 French legislative election, Arnault was elected to the National Assembly in Vaucluse's 1st constituency, defeating incumbent Catherine Jaouen of the National Rally with 54.9% of the second-round vote.[2] In Parliament, he sits with the LFI–NFP (La France Insoumise–New Popular Front) group and has served on the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Education.[1]

"Fiche S" reporting

During the 2024 legislative campaign multiple outlets described Arnault as listed under a "Fiche S" by the government, meaning he has been flagged as a threat for national security.[11] According to Europe 1, he was subject to three such listings; Arnault criticised proposals to render "Fiché S" individuals ineligible for office.[12][13]

Killing of Quentin Deranque

On 16 February 2026, Jacques-Élie Favrot, a parliamentary assistant to Arnault, had his access to the National Assembly suspended by President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet after being suspected of involvement in the killing of Quentin Deranque, an activist with the far-right Collectif Némésis in Lyon two days prior.[14] On 17 February, Favrot was arrested by police in connection to the death, alongside another staffer for Arnault, Robin Chalendard. Media reported that both are also "Fiché S" by the government.[15] On 1 April 2026, Arnault returned to the National Assembly for the first time since the incident. National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet stated that, while legally permitted, "morally it is difficult for him to represent the Nation given this type of behaviour" and left the decision to Arnault's conscience.[16][17][18]

In an April 2026 interview with Blast, Arnault broke his media silence, explaining it as a desire "to take some height in this moment". He expressed emotion over the events but placed "immense responsibility" on the French state and police, citing "failures at all levels" and a clear "laissez-faire" attitude, while noting that "a 23-year-old also died". Arnault defended his parliamentary collaborator Favrot as "not someone who wishes the death of another" and insisted the violence had nothing to do with the now-dissolved Jeune Garde, describing the circulated images as "antinomical" to the group's proposals and confirming that all activities had ceased after the dissolution decree.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 "M. Raphaël Arnault – Vaucluse (1re circonscription)". Assemblée nationale (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 Guéron-Gabrielle, Juliette (9 July 2024). "Raphaël Arnault, candidat « fiché S », l'emporte face au Rassemblement national à Avignon". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  3. 1 2 "La Jeune Garde, un collectif antifa proche de LFI que le ministre Bruno Retailleau veut dissoudre". Le Monde (in French). 15 May 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Législatives : le porte-parole de la Jeune Garde candidat à Lyon ?". Lyon Capitale (in French). 13 May 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  5. 1 2 "INFO EUROPE 1 – Législatives 2024 : Raphaël Arnault a bien (déjà) été condamné pour violences en réunion". Europe 1 (in French). 4 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "Tout ce que l'on sait sur Raphaël Arnault, ce Lyonnais candidat du Front Populaire fiché S". Le Progrès (in French). 17 June 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "2e circonscription du Rhône : qui est Raphaël Arnault, candidat de l'extrême gauche ?". Le Progrès (in French). 23 May 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Fiche Raphaël Arnault" (PDF). Haute Autorité pour la transparence de la vie publique. 26 February 2026. Archived from the original on 26 February 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Poingt, Guillaume (4 December 2025). "Le député LFI Raphaël Arnault a été définitivement condamné par la justice pour violences volontaires en réunion". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  10. ↑ Darnault, Maïté (19 June 2024). "Antifa lyonnais, ex-NPA, assistant d'éducation : qui est Raphaël Arnault, le candidat LFI qui divise dans le Vaucluse". Libération (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Raphaël Arnault, candidat « fiché S », l'emporte face au Rassemblement national à Avignon". Le Monde (in French). 9 July 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Législatives : le candidat fiché S, Raphaël Arnault, et la Jeune Garde visés par plusieurs plaintes pour violences et menaces de mort". Europe 1 (in French). 21 June 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Inéligibilité des fichés S : le député de Vaucluse dénonce « une élimination des opposants politiques »". Echo du Mardi (in French). 25 July 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  14. ↑ Bordas, Wally (16 February 2026). "Mort de Quentin : le collaborateur LFI de Raphaël Arnault, soupçonné d'être impliqué dans le lynchage, interdit d'accès à l'Assemblée". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  15. ↑ Marty, Jean-Baptiste (19 February 2026). "Mort de Quentin Deranque : proches de Raphaël Arnault, membres de la Jeune Garde... Qui sont suspects placés en garde à vue ?". Europe 1 (in French).
  16. ↑ "Édito. De retour à l'Assemblée nationale, le député insoumis Raphaël Arnault tente d'inverser les rôles". Franceinfo. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "« Dans l'État de droit, ce n'est pas le règne de l'arbitraire » : le retour très critiqué de Raphaël Arnault à l'Assemblée nationale". TF1 Info. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Mort de Quentin Deranque : le député LFI Raphaël Arnault de retour à l'Assemblée nationale". Le Monde. 1 April 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  19. ↑ Challand, Romain (6 April 2026). "Un mois et demi après la mort de Quentin Deranque, Blast déroule le tapis rouge à Raphaël Arnault". www.marianne.net (in French). Retrieved 8 April 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.