‘Back to Africa’: French MP sparks parliament outrage
Al JazeeraNov 25, 2022
French MP Suspended After "Return to Africa" Remarks
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Image copyright: Assemblee Nationale 2022/AFP [via Al Jazeera]
The Facts
The French parliament has issued a 15-day suspension for MP Gregoire de Fournas, a member of the far-right National Rally party, who appeared to yell "return to Africa" as a Black MP discussed migrants.
While Carlos Martens Bilongo was speaking about finding a port for 234 migrants recently rescued at sea, the official account cited de Fournas as saying "he" should go back to Africa, with de Fournas claiming he said "they," the migrants. The two phrases sound identical in French — "Qu'il retourne en Afrique," and "Qu'ils retournent en Afrique."
The Spin
Left narrative
De Fournas' penalty is the only just course of action. Le Pen's far-right party cannot get away with abjectly racist comments, and he deserves full censure for his disgraceful behavior.
Right narrative
If a clearly-misinterpreted comment is all it takes to induce a penalty, many other MPs should prepare to receive the same punishment. The 15-day suspension was issued only once before, and now the left has decided to use it over a simple misunderstanding. This is unfair cancel culture.
