Overview

• The Agen tribunal found Joël Hocquelet guilty of discrimination for refusing to rent a municipal hall to Rassemblement National in September 2024
• He was fined €1,500 and ordered to pay €1,000 in court costs after prosecutors initially sought a €4,000 penalty with half suspended
• Judges denied the RN’s request to declare him ineligible for office, a decision hailed by his lawyer as a clear signal on sanction limits
• Hocquelet defended his refusal by citing public order risks and the hall’s 1,200-seat capacity being inadequate for the 2,500 people expected
• Observers warn the ruling could set a precedent on how public officials must facilitate political assemblies in communal spaces