France's National Assembly lower house passed a hard-fought bill early Thursday that would require town halls to fly both the French and European flags, as most already do.

The bill had drawn controversy, both as a clear challenge to the far-right National Rally (RN) a year ahead of European Parliament elections and a red rag to left-wing lawmakers, who called it a distraction from resistance to President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reforms.

"People who have trouble concealing their unease before the flag with stars (of the EU) have just as much trouble hiding their dreams of Frexit," said Mathieu Lefevre, an MP loyal to Macron who shepherded the text through parliament.

He accused both France's hard left and far right of harbouring ambitions to follow Britain out of the EU, which has 27 members since the Brexit process was completed in 2020.

"Both ends of the hemicycle" were hostile to the draft law, Europe Minister Laurence Boone said.

"French people only bow to three colours, the blue, white and red" of the national tricolour, RN lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy retorted.

The bill, which will apply only to municipalities with more than 1,500 inhabitants, will now move to the Senate upper house.

MPs also passed amendments requiring town halls to hang the portrait of the current president -- as most already do -- and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which harks back to the French Revolution.

Their facades should also bear the French Republic's motto of Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood).

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