His remarks caused an uproar in the political world. Eric Zemmour attracted a general bronca, Saturday January 15, after having denounced “the obsession with inclusion” children with disabilities and defended “specialized establishments” to educate them. Faced with numerous criticisms, he qualified his remarks, while condemning “egalitarian ideology”. Back to this controversy in five acts.
Act 1: Eric Zemmour denounces “the obsession with inclusion”
It all starts in Honnecourt-sur-Escaut (Nord), Friday 14 January. The far-right candidate discusses with teachers committed to his cause. On the education of disabled children, Eric Zemmour believes that“we do indeed need specialized establishments, except for people with slight disabilities, of course”.
“As for the rest, yes, I think the obsession with inclusion is a bad way for other children and for those children who are, the poor, completely overwhelmed by other children. So I think it need specialized teachers who take care of it.”
Eric Zemmourduring a discussion with teachers
Act 2: critics of politicians fuse
Sophie Cluzel, Secretary of State for Disability, blasted Saturday on Twitter “a pitiful statement”. “Very angry” on BFMTV, she criticized a “miserable vision” and “exclusive” of disability. “Of course it’s complicated, but it’s really an honor for France to be able to educate these children with others, among others”, she added.
Himself with a disability, Damien Abad, leader of the Republican deputies, denounced comments “scandalous” and an “segregation on all floors”. “Yes, we must be obsessed with inclusion. I demand a public apology”, he launched on Twitter. “My project is more inclusion for fragile children”, declared Valérie Pécresse on the sidelines of a trip to Greece, lambasting “brutality” comments by Eric Zemmour. For her part, Marine Le Pen, the candidate of the National Rally, judged “unforgivable” of “Tackling children weakened by a disability”.
On the left, the criticisms were numerous: “He is as always in excess, violence and insult”, said Anne Hidalgo, the PS candidate. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the candidate of La France insoumise, castigated “opposing worldview” to hers. Fabien Roussel, the communist candidate, said to himself “repelled” by the words of Eric Zemmour, condemning a “apartheid society”.
Act 3: the associative world steps up to the plate
The reactions were also strong in the associative environment. The national president of the Association for adults and young people with disabilities, Jean-Louis Garcia, was moved on BFMTV by what he considers to be a “segregation”, a “set aside”, while the president of SOS autisme France, Olivia Cattan, “indignant” of judged words “discriminatory” which show a “misunderstanding” of candidate Zemmour on the subject. They referred him to the 2005 law which guarantees equal opportunities for children with disabilities. Like the National Association for the Integration of People with Motor Disabilities (ANPIHM), which also denounces a lack of specialized resources.
The president of the Association for the consideration of disability in public and private policies (APHPP) Matthieu Annereau, also elected local LREM and blind, for his part estimated that “the exclusion of the 12 million disabled people in France mentioned by Mr Zemmour [était] deeply nauseating”.
Act 4: Eric Zemmour qualifies his remarks
Faced with the outcry, the former polemicist returned to his remarks. He first explained himself on Saturday in Villers-Cotterêts (Aisne). “Of course, there are cases where putting them in an ordinary establishment is a good thing because it allows them to progress, to socialize. And then there are other cases, real, more numerous than no one says it, where it is a suffering for these children” disabled, he said. “What I wanted to say is that I don’t want the obsession with inclusion to deprive us and lead us to neglect the need for specialized establishments”, he continued.
On Saturday, he posted a video message in which he denounced “diverted remarks” by “politicians” guilty according to him of “lies” and “of hypocrisy”.
He explained himself again on Sunday. Guest of the program “Sunday in politics”, on France 3, he once again denounced “egalitarian ideology”, and clarified his words: “What did I want to denounce? Under the pretext of inclusion at all costs, we are closing many specialized establishments”, did he declare. He assured that he wanted to denounce the lack of means for the specialized structures. According to him, by putting children with disabilities in non-specialized establishments, “National Education makes savings on the backs of the children who suffer the most”.
Act 5: Emmanuel Macron defends France, “a united, humanist nation”
We “cannot claim to be in love with France and deny to this extent what we are”, reacted Emmanuel Macron in front of relatives, after Eric Zemmour’s comments on disability, learned franceinfo, Sunday, confirming information from the newspaper The Parisian. France is “a united, humanist nation, which neither divides nor stigmatises. A nation which, beyond political sensitivities, has always known how to make differences a wealth and a strength”, added the President of the Republic.