Macron accuses French far right of fuelling racism after deadly attack
French President Emmanuel Macron has accused far-right politicians, including members of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), of fostering an atmosphere of racism in France following a deadly attack in a Paris suburb.
The attack last Friday in Trappes, southwest of Paris, left one person dead and seven others wounded, triggering a heated debate over racism in politics and the media ahead of the country’s presidential election.
“There are political movements which have led to … a kind of disinhibition of speech, an ambient racism,” Macron said in a lengthy interview with YouTube influencer Hugo Decrypte, released late Wednesday.
He singled out the National Rally and those close to the party, drawing a swift rebuke from its members.
RN lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy told TF1 that Macron was responsible for the spread of hatred, antisemitism and homophobia during his nine years in power.
French anti-terrorist prosecutors said on Thursday that the 39-year-old suspect, identified as Kevin T, had acknowledged seeking victims of “African or Muslim type” during questioning. Investigators also found a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and stickers mentioning the RN among his belongings.
However, the suspect said he did not support any particular political party.
The victim, 26-year-old Pengo Bossio Wangi, was killed amid growing tensions over immigration and racism in France. Politicians from across the right have blamed immigration for riots and looting during street protests this month, though the report said they had not provided evidence to support those claims.
At a march in memory of Bossio Wangi on Sunday, some participants accused media coverage of contributing to racial hatred.
Zineb Alami, a lawyer for the victim’s father, said the country was experiencing a climate in which certain people were repeatedly portrayed as suspicious or illegitimate.
“Words carry weight,” she said.
The controversy has also put pressure on Macron’s minority centrist government, which has faced accusations of failing to do enough to tackle racism and the spread of far-right ideas.
Sociologist Solene Brun said the normalisation of far-right ideas extended beyond the National Rally and into government ranks.
Meanwhile, Aurore Berge, the minister for gender equality and anti-discrimination, faced calls in parliament to retract a remark she made last month describing discussion of the “Great Replacement” as legitimate. The conspiracy theory, promoted by far-right groups, has been invoked by perpetrators of far-right attacks in several countries.
Authorities also reported that far-right activists seeking confrontations with protesters had been spotted in more than a dozen French cities last week.
