Barely named, already criticized. Immediately after the appointment of Pap Ndiaye, an academic specializing in the history of minorities, born to a Senegalese father and a French mother, the far right multiplied criticism.
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“The appointment of Pap Ndiaye, an assumed indigenist, to National Education is the last stone in the deconstruction of our country, its values and its future”, notably estimated on Twitter Marine Le Pen, presidential finalist. For RN President Jordan Bardella, “Pap Ndiaye is a racialist and anti-cop activist”.
“Emmanuel Macron said that the History of France had to be deconstructed. Pap Ndiaye will take care of it”also reacted the other far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour.
In their viewfinder, certain words from the 56-year-old historian, who spoke in particular about “structural racism in France, by which institutions like the police can engage in racist practices”
On “Islamo-leftism” in the university environment, denounced by Jean-Michel Blanquer or even by the former Minister of Higher Education, Frédérique Vidal, Pap Ndiaye had struck on France Inter : “This term does not designate any reality at the university. What strikes me above all is the degree of ignorance of the political world of the research that is carried out at the university in the social sciences and the humanities.
Elisabeth Borne defended her minister on TF1 television news on Friday. “It’s perfectly caricatural, which doesn’t surprise me from the people you mentioned”underlined the Prime Minister, in reference to the head of the RN and the president of Reconquest!. “Pape Ndiaye is a very committed Republican, someone who believes in the values of the Republic and that is obviously what he will wear as Minister of National Education”she added.