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The Louvre attacks Marine le Pen for claiming Paris landmark 'as her own' in campaign video

France's far-right party Rassemblement National (RN) candidate for the 2022 French presidential election Marine Le Pen delivering a speech by the Louvre Pyramid in Paris - AFP
France's far-right party Rassemblement National (RN) candidate for the 2022 French presidential election Marine Le Pen delivering a speech by the Louvre Pyramid in Paris - AFP

With less than 100 days before France’s presidential election, far-Right hopeful Marine Le Pen has become embroiled in a row with one of the nation’s most recognisable landmarks.

The Louvre on Sunday said Ms Le Pen did not have permission to film a campaign video in front of its famous glass pyramid.

In ‘The Louvre Declaration’, the National Rally leader describes the gallery as an “architectural jewel” home to some of mankind’s “most beautiful cultural achievements.” But she swiftly launches into a series of grievances against President Emmanuel Macron, who, she acknowledges, five years earlier made his election night victory speech in front of the same pyramid.

The goal, Philippe Olivier, one of Ms Le Pen’s campaign advisors told the New York Times, was to show that “Macron is the opponent…that’s what the symbolic act of being at the Louvre is about.”

But the Louvre said it wanted no part in the political tit-for-tat.

In a statement to the Telegraph, a museum spokesperson said that Ms Le Pen’s party didn’t seek permission before filming the video on January 11, and has asked her team to take the video down.

“We belong to the entire French population,” another museum spokesperson told the French newspaper Le Parisien. “But in her video clip, Ms Le Pen claims the Louvre as her own.”

Ms Le Pen’s team defended the video, which remains online, claiming it was in line with the museum’s official rules, which states that no authorization is needed when a video isn’t shot for commercial purposes.

In the video, Ms Le Pen repeatedly references Macron’s 2017 victory speech, claiming the incumbent has failed to live up to his election night commitments, and pledging to put an end to the “interlude of a Macronism that’s been toxic for the country and that began here.”

The Louvre, for its part, said it was “considering what action may be taken regarding the conditions under which the video was filmed and broadcast.” While he has yet to formally announce his candidacy to seek reelection, Mr Macron remains the current favourite, polling to take 26 percent of the vote in the first round, with Le Pen trailing behind at 17 percent.

Polls also have Mr Macron beating Ms Le Pen in a second round run-off, suggesting the self-described centrist would take 57 percent of the vote to her 43 percent.

While she was an early favourite, Ms Le Pen has been forced to realign her campaign by distinguishing herself from two other hopefuls on the right: the centre-right Valérie Pécresse and far-right firebrand Eric Zemmour.

Both candidates have enjoyed a sharp rise in the polls, with Ms Le Pen and Ms Pécresse currently tied to take 17 percent of the vote in the first round.

Also on Saturday, Christiane Taubira, who served as the country’s Justice Minister under former President Francois Hollande, announced her candidacy, making her the eighth person on France’s political left to add their name to the party’s presidential primary slated for late January.