Shameful Response from Ciotti to Algeria’s Restitution Request: French Right Reveals Deep-Rooted Hostility Towards Algeria
✏️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers, Algeria | June 2nd, 2024 — In a bid to galvanize support ahead of the European elections, the French right-wing party Les Républicains (LR), under the leadership of Eric Ciotti, has resorted to inflammatory and divisive rhetoric. This troubling shift highlights a growing extremism and racism within the party, marking a stark departure from its Gaullist roots. The timing is particularly poignant, coinciding with the commemoration of the Allied landings in Normandy in 1944, a historical event that saw Algerian conscripts fighting to liberate Paris from Nazi occupation.
Exploiting Xenophobia Amid Socio-Economic Struggles
Facing significant socio-economic challenges, Les Républicains have opted to exploit xenophobic sentiments instead of offering a constructive and ambitious program for France. Eric Ciotti’s recent comments, linking Algeria’s request for the restitution of looted colonial artifacts to criminality among Algerians in France, are indicative of this troubling trend. On May 30, Ciotti tweeted, “Let’s also send Algeria the list of criminals they should take back,” and added, “We should return everything, the goods and the bad: criminals, delinquents, illegals, OQTF (orders to leave the French territory).”
These remarks, far from responsible political discourse, represent a descent into what can be termed as “political delinquency.” This rhetoric mirrors previous controversial statements by France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin regarding illegal Algerians in France, which President Abdelmadjid Tebboune condemned, calling Darmanin a liar.
Backlash from the French Political Spectrum
Ciotti’s incendiary tweet has elicited sharp criticism from across the French political spectrum. Socialist MP Arthur Delaporte from Calvados reported the tweet for “incitement to hatred and racism,” highlighting the dangerous nature of such divisive language. Delaporte remarked, “When LR tries to outdo both RN (Rassemblement National) and Zemmour by echoing Valeurs Actuelles, it results in this kind of vile rhetoric.”
Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party, denounced the trivialization of the serious issue of colonial-era restitution, stating, “This is how a serious issue gets twisted into a message that fuels hatred with vile stereotypes. This is behavior worthy of the far-right.” Representatives from La France Insoumise (LFI) were equally critical. Antoine Léaument, LFI MP from Essonne, retorted, “The war is over, and so is colonization. Accept it once and for all and stop bothering us with your old racist stories.”
Internal Dissent and Calls for Accountability
The backlash extended within Les Républicains itself. Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France region and a member of the party, distanced himself from Ciotti’s stance, condemning the tweet strongly. “No electoral calculation justifies insulting a country and its people, no matter the differences,” Bertrand stated, calling for the tweet’s removal to maintain the integrity of François-Xavier Bellamy’s European campaign.
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