Who is Papacito, the far-right YouTuber behind the threats against a mayor of Tarn-et-Garonne?

For several months, Papacito has been pointing his sights at Christian Eurgal, mayor of Montjoi, a small village of 167 inhabitants located in the Tarn-et-Garonne. In question, a dispute between two inhabitants about a private road: a pig farmer feels aggrieved by a British national in the use of a communal road, whose access would have been obstructed by blocks of stone deposited by the municipality, according to the nationalist influencer.

In a video with nearly 525,600 views since May 11, entitled "Marten infestation in Montjoi", Papacito takes a stand in favor of the farmer: he argues that the English national would have bribed the mayor, compared to a marten, in order to appropriate the path. Since then, following intimidation and death threats, Christian Eurgal has been placed under police protection.

Violent and pro-gun communication

This is not the first time that Papacito - whose real name is Ugo Gil Jimenez - has advocated violence and the use of arms. Originally from Toulouse, this icon of the "fachosphere" spreads a nationalist, anti-republican discourse, valuing the cult of virility and violence. Papacito, who first studied sociology at the Sorbonne University, became known in 2012 for his blog entitled "Les FDP (Fils de pute, editor's note) de la mode", in which he writes pamphleteer posts. In 2018, its content will be adapted into a comic book, co-directed with controversial cartoonist Marsault and published by Ring Editions.

The small Parisian publishing house, which has since closed down, also published between 2018 and 2020 three books by this grandson of Spanish immigrants, admirer of the dictator Franco and Saddam Hussein: "War Diaries: satirical newspaper", a true ode to machismo, virilism and violence, "Twilight of the Titans" in which he idolizes the medieval period as well as "Punitive Expedition", in which he exposes his glorification of the military world.

Online Community

Over the years, the thirty-year-old has built a solid community: 213,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel and 87,800 on his Instagram account, almost as many as on Twitter, from which he was banned in January 2021. In "Les Grands Substitutes", Marianne journalist Paul Conge presents the 37-year-old videographer as part of the nostalgic for "the lost virility of post-modern man" and "those who hate (...) their way of life of tantouzes and who fear mass immigration".

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In June 2021, the influencer made headlines by releasing a video, co-directed with weapons specialist Code Reinho, in which he shot a mannequin representing a "leftist" before stabbing him several times. A complaint on this subject, filed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who described this appearance of execution as a "call to murder", was dismissed last December.

Ambivalent speech

And for good reason, this admirer of the "rugby of yesteryear" skillfully plays a "mixture of humor and its deep and dangerous ideology," notes Mathieu Slama, essayist and political analyst. The second degree, satire and freedom of expression are his lines of defense: he is legally unassailable." The videographer was dubbed by the candidate for the last presidential election Eric Zemmour, who had described on CNews the video of the fake execution as "gaguesque".

In 2018, Papacito created with YouTuber Raptor Dissident the hashtag "MonteUneEquipe", with the aim of bringing together nationalists from all over the France to fight against "the decline of the West". The two influencers will then distance themselves from the movement, small groups ready to fight having formed in France. Last June, the YouTuber published a video in which he said he was going to the home of Libération journalist Pierre Plottu, for a "discussion" without violence but "of course with equipment".

Can these repeated calls for violence materialize? "He is very followed by young people, we notice a porosity with militant far-right circles," notes Mathieu Slama. His glorification of violence is very dangerous: part of his audience seems more and more ready to take action."