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You definitely know Louis Aliot, mayor of Perpignan since 2020, quite a character in the French political landscape. Born on September 4, 1969, in Toulouse, he has a rather imposing stature, nearly one meter eighty-five, that does not go unnoticed in the corridors of power. Also, you might not have known, but he married Véronique Lopez in 2021, after a rather eventful love life.
At the beginning, it was clearly not a sure thing. Born into a family with deeply rooted right-wing roots, around the Pieds-noirs and a complicated family history between French Algeria and mainland France, he grew up immersed in a political world that shaped many convictions. He even completed a doctoral thesis in public law, which is far from common in his environment.
On the political scene, Louis Aliot is a bit the faithful among the faithful of the Front national, now Rassemblement national. Present in the upper spheres since the 90s, he always navigated between campaign, strategy, and power within the party, notably alongside Marine Le Pen, with whom he was in a relationship for ten years. Yes, he is a regular on the front lines, but that hasn’t always spared him.
It’s crazy how his local career changed the game, especially since he took control of Perpignan. He represents the remarkable rise of the far right in a major French city, a real historic turning point, even worrying for some, exciting for others. And in 2025, the controversy does not subside.
Who is Louis Aliot: a man shaped by his heritage and politics
Louis Aliot is not just a face on a ballot paper, he is a man from a family crucible marked both by radical commitments and complex inheritances. His father, a plasterer from Ax-les-Thermes, shifted to nationalist right after the Algerian war. His mother, a repatriated Pied-noire, has her own memories of a war and an exodus that are engraved in the family memory.
This mix of memories and ideologies nourished Louis Aliot from a very young age. He never hid his attachment to these roots, as well as his strong sensitivity to the fate of repatriates. This complex family framework probably explains his political positioning, clearly anchored in an identitarian nationalism but quite skilled at avoiding low-level extremism, according to him.
Despite his political commitments since 1990 in the Front national, he also has a certain intellectual rigor with a doctorate in public law. A peculiarity for some, but an asset that allowed him to understand institutional mechanisms and refine his political strategies.
His academic path was not always easy, notably because of his political opinions, but he held on and even started as a lawyer in 2010, setting up a firm in Perpignan. This double life, between activism and legal function, gives Louis Aliot a unique profile.
The early steps of a Front national cadre between activism and academic rigor
Before becoming this controversial public figure, Aliot got his start in local and student politics. Imagine, a young student from Toulouse, he joined early on the right-wing student movements like the UNI, but remained critical of some radicals. Already, he sought a more pragmatic positioning, thoroughly reading nationalist theories, without ever giving up.
At the end of the 90s, he worked directly with Jean-Marie Le Pen, which placed him at the heart of frontist action. This position in the office of the former FN leader was crucial. We find him behind the scenes of presidential campaigns, a real strategist. And that’s where he took root in this sometimes rough but always intense world.
His role in the “de-demonization” of the FN, especially linked with Marine Le Pen, is far from insignificant. Barely out of his studies, he positioned himself as a pillar of the party’s renovation with the will to make it electorally more acceptable. This did not please everyone, and his detractors labeled him with some, sometimes harsh, tags, but he persisted.
This evolution towards a less radical FN, more electorally viable, reflects well the strategy and ambitions of Louis Aliot, always at the forefront to defend his ideas, even if they disturb.
From regional councilor to mayor of Perpignan: a path not always smooth
His local political career has been a long battle. Elected regional councilor of Midi-Pyrénées in 1998, then of Languedoc-Roussillon, he navigated waters not always favorable. You could say he played it tight for a long time, persevering despite bitter failures, notably during his first municipal campaigns where the FN struggled to impose its color.
Then Perpignan, 2020, and bam! Historic victory. Against the outgoing right-wing mayor, he scooped the win on a promise mixing security, employment, and supposedly more efficient management. Beneath his classical politician appearance, he brings a marked RN touch with a style less virulent than one might imagine. Progress? He ran his campaign under the radar of obvious racism, which seduced many voters in a city in crisis.
His term is far from a smooth river, especially with persistent legal affairs. In 2025, he was sentenced to three years of ineligibility in a case of fund misappropriation involving FN parliamentary assistants, but he keeps his position, which says a lot about the complexities of law and politics in France.
Criticism flies, debates ignite social networks, but Louis Aliot holds firm, ready to appeal and defend tooth and nail his legitimacy, notably via his official website. Despite everything, his local influence is certain and he remains a key player in the Rassemblement national the details of his career are impressive.
Municipal actions under high tension and some controversies
As mayor, Louis Aliot did not hesitate to take strong measures, such as the revival of night patrols and massive recruitment of municipal police officers. On the other hand, there have been mishaps, notably accusations of nepotism when he hired his partner Véronique Lopez in the city hall’s communication department.
The change of the city’s emblem triggered a real local outcry, with residents feeling betrayed by a symbol considered too religious and outdated. And then, in 2022, the subsidy granted to the Cercle algérianiste revived historical tensions that far exceed the municipal framework.
Of course, these topics are controversial, but it is a governance style all his own, based on the will to give nothing up and on a clear discourse, even if it shakes things up. Between criticism and fierce defense, Louis Aliot plays his all on local experience.
The list of what he has implemented is long, we can mention the following:
- 📈 Strengthening security, with the employment of new police forces
- 🏢 Defense of an employment policy focused on attracting businesses
- 🌱 Introduction of local ecology, with initiatives to green the city
- 📊 Adjustment of parking to balance attractiveness and municipal revenues
- ✉️ Enhanced municipal communication, although criticized for its familiar tone
Louis Aliot today: candidate, convicted, but still at the forefront of politics
It may seem paradoxical, but Louis Aliot, despite his judicial conviction for embezzlement of public funds, remains at the head of his city hall and prepares for the next 2026 electoral deadline. Indeed, his sentence is not yet enforceable, creating an unprecedented scenario in the French political landscape.
He states that he wants to “erase this injustice” on appeal and keeps appearing in the media and on his Facebook profile to maintain the link with his supporters. Some do not hesitate to say he has “everyone’s confidence” within the Rassemblement national, which is far from insignificant.
On the alliance front, he continues to call on key figures both within the RN and beyond, even inviting personalities like Éric Zemmour and Robert Ménard during his local campaigns, a sign of a gathering strategy with variable geometry.
You can follow his announcements and initiatives via his official website or his Facebook page which remain key platforms for his public interventions.
What the near future holds for him
Louis Aliot intends to run again in 2026, strengthened by his local roots and the trust of his voters. Despite the judicial storm, he bets on a campaign centered on the successes of his management and the continuity of his projects. A risky bet, but with chances in an increasingly fragmented political landscape.
His announced projects? Continue the modernization of Perpignan, with a focus on:
- 🏗️ Development of infrastructure, especially railways
- 🛡️ Security, always a central point of his program
- 🌳 Measured ecological transition, between tradition and innovation
- 🤝 Closer ties with local and national economic actors
In short, Louis Aliot today embodies a well-grounded political figure, playing a complex game, between judicial shadows, local successes, and mild national ambitions. For him, the battle continues.
