French government's anti-discrimination plan will prevent 'history stuttering'
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has this week presented the government's three-year plan to fight racism, anti-Semitism, and discrimination linked to origin. It aims in particular to make young people less vulnerable to hateful messages.
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The new 2023-2026 plan presented on Monday provides for a series of measures that affect different sectors, from education to employment, including justice and sport.
"It is by making it known that we prevent history from stuttering," Borne said. Her Jewish father was deported and then ended his life when she was 11 years old.
During their school curriculum, each student will take part in a "visit of a historic or memorial site linked to racism, anti-Semitism or anti-Gypsy expression", because "it is from childhood that stereotypes are formed," the Prime Minister explained.
"It is in our youth that certain conspiracy theories abound. It is also on our young people that the hate messages on social networks have the most effect", she insisted.
Borne promised "total firmness in (the) criminal response", allowing "the issue of arrest warrants" against people who "deviate freedom of expression for racist or anti-Semitic purposes".
Each year, in France, 1.2 million victims experience discrimination or racist or anti-Semitic attacks, according to the government website detailing the plan.
No impunity for hatred
"There will be no impunity for hatred," she assured.
The penalties will also be increased in the event of racist or anti-Semitic expression "even non-public" for people holding public authority or responsible for a public service mission, she added.
The plan should make it possible to measure different forms of discrimination, better educate and train, better punish the perpetrators and better support the victims, Borne outlined.
The Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, also said he was working on the creation of a "civil fine" which will "supply a fund intended to directly help the victims".
"Let's imagine an unfair dismissal based on discrimination: the victim could claim a number of things and the court could impose this fine in addition to damages," he said.
Memory of Travellers
Among the measures, Borne announced the creation in western France of a museum in memory of Travellers (also referred to as gypsies, or Roma) interned during the Second World War.
"This community needs this story to go into the history of France," said Dominique Raimbourg, president of the National Consultative Commission for Travellers.
The museum on the site of a former concentration camp of Montreuil-Bellay, in Maine-et-Loire was welcomed by the leaders of several community groups.
The president of the Council of Jewish organisations (CRIF) Yonathan Arfi hailed the fact that a memorial visit is offered to each young person in their schooling, while the president of the NGO SOS racisme, Dominique Sopo, described as "positive" the fact that "for the first time, a plan integrates the question of racial discrimination".
Plans for E-sport, transport
The plan also aims to integrate employment discrimination tests in companies and to "develop tools" with digital platforms and influencers.
It will also focus on access to housing to "highlight good practices and denounce bad ones".
A code of good conduct for video games and e-sports will also be put in place.
Reporting systems for all those who are victims of hate speech in transport are planned by March.
Another government plan against discrimination linked to sexual orientation should be presented in June.
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