The Far-Right 32-Year-Old Trying to Conquer Paris

"Mamdani campaigned to keep policing numbers flat; Knafo wants to drastically increase the number of armed police on the streets of Paris. Mamdani pushed for a rent freeze and more public housing; Knafo wants to auction off public housing to private buyers and end rent controls. Mamdani is trying to curb the influence of cars in New York City; Knafo wants to roll back the pedestrianization of much of Paris."

"She's also promised to lower taxes, add more free parking spaces, and take a chain saw to the city budget, reducing it by €125 million per year through cuts to municipal staffing, environmental projects, and flagship cultural initiatives such as the "swimming in the Seine" project-a legacy of the 2024 Paris Olympics."

"Mass immigration did not create our problems, but it makes almost all of them worse. She has also cultivated close ties to the MAGA movement in the United States."

Sarah Knafo, a 32-year-old far-right politician from Eric Zemmour's Reconquête party, is campaigning to become Paris mayor with messaging that superficially resembles progressive campaigns like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's. Both candidates project optimism and address quality-of-life issues. However, their policy positions diverge fundamentally. While Mamdani advocates for flat policing, rent freezes, and reduced car influence, Knafo proposes increased armed police presence, privatization of public housing, elimination of rent controls, and rollback of pedestrianization. Knafo also promises tax cuts, expanded parking, and €125 million in budget cuts affecting municipal staff, environmental projects, and cultural initiatives. Additionally, she attributes societal problems partly to mass immigration and maintains close ties to the MAGA movement.

Read at The Nation