Emmanuel Macron hoped Thursday that “everyone can express their voice”, in “respect for the laws of the Republic”, while the tenors of La France Insoumise Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the far right Eric Zemmour were prohibited from public meetings in Lille and Brussels. “I am in favor of respecting the laws of the Republic. Afterwards, for my part, I am always in favor of people being able to express themselves freely, even if I fight their ideas,” declared the president during a press conference after a European summit.
“The Republic represses racist and anti-Semitic remarks”
“I think it is very important, in the times we are living, that all voices can express themselves freely and that afterwards, everyone can combat the arguments that are expressed freely,” he said. he adds. “I do not share Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s vision of things, neither on the conflict in the Middle East, nor on many things, but I think it is important that he can express his voice. And that is the same thing for Eric Zemmour,” he continued.
Concerning Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s conference on Palestine, the Head of State mentioned the commitment of “certain organizations and associations” for this meeting which “clearly gave anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist positions”. “The Republic represses racist and anti-Semitic remarks,” he insisted. “There are judges to judge this”, also to assess “questions of public order”.
Attack on freedom of expression
Citing a risk of “disturbing public order”, the Northern prefecture banned the conference planned in a private room. The University of Lille, where it was initially to be held, had already banned it, expressing concern about “the serenity of the debates” after Iran’s recent attack on Israel. Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Franco-Palestinian activist Rima Hassan finally summoned their supporters to a square in Lille on Thursday evening after the new ban which the LFI leader denounced as “an abuse of power”.
Brussels authorities also ordered on Tuesday the interruption of a controversial meeting of representatives of the nationalist right, including Eric Zemmour and Nigel Farage, a decision denounced as an attack on freedom of expression by several European heads of government.