Othman Nasrou, Moroccan roots and the clash with medieval French ancestry

The conflict erupted following Michel Aubouin’s expulsion from Les Républicains for maintaining a dissenting list in the Yvelines. In an email addressed to the party leadership, the former prefect denounced an “unjust decision” for which he holds Othman Nasrou responsible. According to information reported by Le Monde, the message explicitly targeted the number three figure’s origins in an attempt to challenge his local roots.

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Michel Aubouin, who previously oversaw integration at the Ministry of the Interior, highlighted his uninterrupted French ancestry dating back to the Middle Ages. He claimed he could not have imagined that, among the 500 000 naturalizations he had supervised, “a Moroccan from Casablanca” would one day insult him. In his writings, he argues that this “seniority” on French territory grants him rights and imposes rules of politeness on more recent citizens.

In response to these remarks, Othman Nasrou reported the matter to the Paris prosecutor for “incitement to hatred on the grounds of origin.” The political leader, born in Morocco and naturalized in 2012, believes that such rhetoric has no place in French public debate. He also condemned the former prefect’s proximity to far-right circles, notably citing his participation in work conducted by the National Rally.

In his defense, Michel Aubouin denies any racist intent and describes his remarks as mere reflections on geographical legitimacy. He maintains that centuries-old knowledge of a territory gives someone a particular ability to represent it in municipal elections. For him, invoking family roots is simply an argument for local proximity in opposition to a leader he views as disconnected from his constituency.

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The candidate’s profile is nevertheless being closely scrutinized because of his recent ideological commitments. A member of the scientific council of the Observatory of Immigration and Demography, he openly provides technical expertise to conservative groups. This orientation fuels criticism from his opponents, who see his writings as an identity-based drift incompatible with the values of the traditional republican right.