The National Assembly adopts a first article in a stormy atmosphere

The examination of the text did not go very far, slowed down by the accusations and the invective between the deputies. The National Assembly began, Tuesday, May 6, to discuss a bill to combat anti -Semitism in higher education, but, in a stormy atmosphere, only the first article in this text, which had been adopted unanimously in the Senate, was able to be voted.

The article in question plans to register awareness of the fight against anti -Semitism and racism among the training missions of establishments. The rest of the discussion was to resume Wednesday afternoon.

The text, carried by Pierre Henriet (Horizons, Vendée) and Constance Le Grip (Renaissance, Hauts-de-Seine), also intends to strengthen the prevention and reporting systems, making compulsory within each establishment of “Referents” dedicated to the fight against racism and anti -Semitism.

“Alarming increase in anti -Semitic acts”

“Not a single student should hesitate to go to class because he is afraid of being exposed to anti -Semitism”hammered the Minister of Higher Education at the opening of the debates, Philippe Baptiste. “Since October 7, 2023, we have witnessed an alarming increase in anti -Semitic acts in our society, and higher education, unfortunately, has not been spared”he added.

In the hemicycle, the debates stretched out over the evening. Insoumise France (LFI), the only group to have voted against article 1, wanted to rewrite it using the definition of discrimination of the penal code, not containing the word anti -Semitism.

The “rebellious”, who also criticized the lack of means for new training courses, were accused of wanting “Invisible” anti -Semitism by right -wing, far -right and macronist deputies.

The Minister responsible for the fight against discrimination, Aurore Bergé, also challenged LFI deputies, accusing them of “Electoral strategy” and “Bringing” the “fear” vis-à-vis “our Jewish compatriots”. Their leader, Mathilde Panot, accused her in return “Tore the facts entirely” et “To instrumentalize anti -Semitism to silence the voices for peace on genocide in Palestine”.

Article 3 intends to outsource the disciplinary process

The deputies will not examine until Wednesday article 3 of the text, which is even more debated than the first. Abolished during his examination in committee in the National Assembly, he provides for the creation of a “Common disciplinary section” to establishments of the same academic region, chaired by a member of the administrative jurisdiction.

The co -rapporteur, Pierre Henriet – who recalled that nine out of ten Jewish students say they have undergone anti -Semitic acts at the University, according to a survey of the Union of Jewish students of France – intends to defend the reintroduction by amendment of this provision. According to him, it would allow the heads of establishments to outsource the disciplinary process on the most sensitive files.

“Strengthening the disciplinary procedure is necessary”these steps are often “Too long”et “Anti -Semitic acts, too rarely sanctioned”estimated the deputy Géraldine Bannier (MoDem, Mayenne).

But the left is opposed to this article 3. “The desire to professionalize disciplinary justice by using an administrative judge broke with the tradition of autonomous universities”castigated the deputy (ecologist) of the Ereevy Gustave.

Communist Jean-Paul Lecoq (Seine-Maritime) has criticized the list of facts liable to a disciplinary sanction added to the education code by the same article, including in particular “The facts likely to harm order, to the proper functioning of the establishment”. Provisions that according to him risk “To infringe the rights and freedom of demonstration of students”.