Although he has retired from political life, Nicolas Sarkozy remains as divisive as ever. The former President of the Republic stood out during a conference on “the future of France” organized on Friday November 8, 2024 in Saint-Raphaël and broadcast on BFM2 .
In an extract shared on social networks, Nicolas Sarkozy evokes “the status of school teacher”. “It’s 24 hours a week […] six months of the year […] Between vacations and weekends… So, I know, you have to prepare for the lessons. Kindergarten, large section…”he declares, provoking laughter from the room.
And Nicolas Sarkozy continues: “I know it's a tough job being a teacher, but we have to tell the truth now: we can't afford a million teachers. »
“We have hundreds of thousands of competent, dedicated and wonderful teachers. And there are some who choose the job for the wrong reasons”he said again before defending his mandate during which he had chosen not to replace one in two civil servants.
Read also: An increase in taxes “would be an economic error”, warns Nicolas Sarkozy
“Contempt”, “dismaying”…
Words that have not gone unnoticed, particularly on the left. “This is what the right thinks of civil servants. We must listen to this contempt for school teachers! And dare to say that there are too many teachers when our children are often far too many in class”commented on X Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party.
“These comments about professors who hold the future of the country in their hands are appalling”agrees the PS mayor of Montpellier Michaël Delafosse.
“Go and spend even just one week in a nursery school, Mr. Sarkozy! Your words are of abysmal ignorance”also reacted Modem deputy Laurent Croizier. In the same tone, communist senator Ian Brossat suggests putting Nicolas Sarkozy in front of a class: “It will calm him down”he tackles.
“Already he is free and what’s more he insults us”further commented LFI MP Carlos Martens Bilongo in reference to the numerous legal cases in which Nicolas Sarkozy is entangled.
This statement from Nicolas Sarkozy also caused a reaction among the unions. “A former president who spits in the face of thousands of teachers […] So yes, coming from him, that’s not surprising. But through those who teach, it is the students and the parents of students that he despises”wrote Guislaine David, joint general secretary and spokesperson for SNUipp-FSU. “Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, school teachers are annoying you and the 800,000 teachers”reacted for its part the collective Les Stylos Rouges.