Rachida Dati denounces “class contempt” in reactions to her appointment

The Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, denounced a “class contempt” in the reactions aroused by her arrival at this position where she was not expected, in an interview with The Parisian posted online Saturday January 14 in the evening. “I don’t care about the comments on my nomination, even if I sometimes also see class contempt in them. I even heard ‘has she ever read a book?’“, affirmed the minister.

“You can’t imagine the number of messages I have received since my appointment on Thursday evening: many French people say that it is possible, and I am very touched”, added the one who comes from a very modest background and whose father was a mason in Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire). The minister specified that she wanted “relaunch the municipal conservatories accessible to all, the theater for young people and all the networks including [elle a] benefited like the Maisons des Jeunes et de la Culture (MJC)”.

A “powerful” public audiovisual

“We will have to fight to ensure that our public broadcasting remains powerful”, she also said, among her priorities. Rachida Dati also assured that she would remain mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris, and that she kept the municipal elections in mind. “I received a lot of support from Parisian elected officials because our common fight is to win Paris in 2026”she explained.

She denied any electoral agreement with President Emmanuel Macron to allow him to win in this future election. “Can you imagine Emmanuel Macron, at the time of my appointment, talking to me about municipal elections which will be held in 2026?”, she argued. Questioned on the subject on Sunday on France 3, Parisian MP Sylvain Maillard (Renaissance) also contested everything “deal” with the president of the LR group at the Paris Council. “There is no deal, no arrangement with Rachida Dati for the municipal elections in Paris in 2026”he promised.