A racist phrase pronounced on Thursday in the National Assembly has caused a scandal in France. The deputy of the National Regroupment (RN, extreme right), Grégoire de Fournas, addressed the speaker at the time, Carlos Martens Bilongo, of France Insumisa (LFI, radical left), with the phrase "Let him go back to Africa!" .
It is not clear if De Fournas was addressing the leftist deputy, of African descent, or referring to the boats with migrants in the Mediterranean, an issue that the latter was addressing. The far-right parliamentarian maintains the second. But in any case, the rest of the parties considered that it had been an intolerable racist comment.
The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, felt "hurt" by the comment. The government spokesman, Olivier Véran, called for the resignation of De Fournas. Le Pen's party claimed to be the victim of self-serving misrepresentation. The Assembly will decide this Friday whether to sanction De Fournas.
The incident represents a turning point in the behavior of the RN in the Chamber. Its 89 deputies have so far made an effort to present a serious and moderate image, even in their sober attire. He was part of
their strategy to be seen as a political force capable of governing. Critics argue that the RN has shown its extremist face and its deep xenophobic roots.
