The French government presented, this Monday, January 30, 2023, a new plan to fight against racism and anti-Semitism. Elisabeth Borne, the Prime Minister, unveiled the main lines at the Arab World Institute in Paris with no less than 10 ministers. The plan, which contains 80 measures, arouses hope as well as skepticism in associations.
” hate kills […] We must act ! The Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men, Isabelle Rome, draws up an implacable observation in the newspaper The Parisian. So, to fight against hatred and discrimination, the French government is betting on education.
Better educate students, better train teachers. These are the first axes of the plan presented this Monday morning by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Thus, from the start of the next school year, all students will be required to visit a place of memory related to anti-Semitism or any form of discrimination. Teachers are also affected by the plan: a training day will be given to them every 5 years.
Ultimately, the goal is to train all civil servants in these questions of racism and anti-Semitism. This concerns both the security forces and the reception officer at Pôle Emploi. This is an ambitious objective, because civil servants represent 6 million French people.
Strengthen the judicial arsenal
The plan includes measures to improve the judicial response. Among the tracks mentioned, that of a heavier sentence for police officers who commit racist or anti-Semitic offenses in the exercise of their functions. The measure would concern all persons in charge of a public service mission.
Another point: improve the collection of complaints. The interest is to reduce the number of classifications without continuation, because their number explodes. According to the Ministry of Justicein 2020, half of the alleged perpetrators of racist offenses were dismissed.
Systematize testing
Last key measure, the testing. The testing consists of sending two curriculum vitae (CV) identical, with the only difference being the origin of the candidate. The government wants to make it systematic, in both the private and public sectors, to identify and sanction companies that practice discrimination in hiring.
Racist offenses on the rise
So many announcements, because racist offenses continue to increase in France. Figures from the Ministry of the Interior are relentless. Between 2019 and 2021, racist crimes or offenses increased by 13% in France. In 2021, 7,700 cases of a racist, anti-Semitic or xenophobic nature were recorded, for a total of 1,300 convictions. The trivialization of racist speech and the dissemination of conspiratorial concepts, sometimes even in the political field, partly explain this increase.
Distrust of associations
Associations fighting against racism and discrimination welcome at least this new plan cautiously, even with a great deal of suspicion. Because it is not the first that a government of Emmanuel Macron presents. In March 2018, former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presented his. Except that no follow-up has really been done and the actors now recognize that this plan is a failure.
Expectations from anti-racist associations are high. But questions remain. Starting with financing: how will the plan be financed? No budget has been set at this time. Moreover, how can we be sure of the implementation of these measures, when justice and education themselves lack the means?
Isabelle Rome, the Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men, who is piloting this plan, does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. She assures him that there will indeed be a six-monthly follow-up. On the other hand, some associations have no illusions. They fear, above all, the announcement effect.
► Pap Ndiaye, Minister of National Education, wants to institutionalize visits to museums, places of memory and history in the school career of students.