French Mayor with Notable Surname Faces Election Challenge
Charles Hitler, the sitting mayor of Arcis-sur-Aube in France, is making headlines as he campaigns for re-election. After securing the most votes in the first round of municipal elections on March 15, he’s now preparing for a runoff against two competitors, including Antoine Renaud Zielinski, according to reports.
This unusual name coincidence has sparked discussions online, with many drawing parallels to historical figures such as Adolf Hitler and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the first round, Hitler garnered 411 votes, which accounted for 37.81% of the total. Annie Souca followed with 32.20%, while Zielinski placed third with 29.99% from a total of 326 votes. All three will move on to the next round of voting on March 22, where the turnout reached 58.69%.
“It’s just gone completely crazy,” Hitler expressed in an interview. He mentioned his history of dealing with jokes regarding his name, recalling times when he found mustaches drawn on his campaign posters. “But now? It’s out of control. I even saw a headline saying, ‘37% of locals are Hitlerites!’ It’s heartbreaking for my wife,” he added.
During the interview, he explained that his surname originates from the Alsace region, which is close to Germany. His father had faced forced labor in Germany during World War II and thought about changing their last name afterward but ultimately chose not to, citing the costs and complications involved.
At 75 years old, Hitler noted that they kept the family name as a way to show that something positive could be associated with it, emphasizing that what matters is the individual behind the name.
Meanwhile, Zielinski, who is 28, shared that he combines both his father’s and his Polish mother’s surnames out of respect for both sides of his heritage. He acknowledged the phonetic similarity to Zelensky, admitting he was “very surprised” by how widely the situation has been perceived as humorous.
Zielinski is affiliated with Les Patriotes, a political party led by former National Rally figure Florian Philippot. Reports indicated that after the initial voting round, his campaign posters were vandalized with anti-right-wing messages.
Arcis-sur-Aube has historically leaned toward right-wing candidates, with Marine Le Pen achieving a significant victory over Emmanuel Macron in the 2022 presidential election. Interestingly, the town has a rich history, having seen battles involving French Emperor Napoleon I and hosting historical figures like revolutionary Georges-Jacques Danton.
