French mayor Philippe Gaudin gives Hitler salute at council meeting

A French mayor is facing calls to resign after giving a Hitler salute at a council meeting.

The prefecture of Val-de-Marne said Sunday it would take legal action against Philippe Gaudin, the mayor of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges on the outskirts of Paris.

Gaudin reportedly performed the gesture twice during a heated municipal council session on Saturday after an opposition politician accused him of allying with the far-right to win office.

According to a report in Le Parisien newspaper, the 75-year-old also shouted: "Heil!"

The town's deputy mayor, Emmanuelly Gougougnan-Zadique, labelled Gaudin's salute an "anti-Semitic act," while several council members called for the mayor's resignation on Facebook.

A prominent left-wing member of the French National Assembly also called on the interior minister to hold new elections in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying the town had been "abandoned by its elected officials."

Gaudin later apologized, telling the BFMTV news channel it was an "unfortunate gesture," but denied that his actions could be interpreted as a sign of allegiance.