Gérald Darmanin announced that he had asked his services “to instruct the dissolution” of Civitas, a far-right party bringing together fundamentalist traditionalist Catholics, condemning the request for “forfeiture of nationality for Jews” formulated at the University of summer of the organization.
“Anti-Semitism has no place in our country. I strongly condemn these ignominious remarks and seize the public prosecutor, “added the Minister of the Interior in his passage published on X (formerly Twitter).
Anti-Semitism has no place in our country. I strongly condemn these ignominious remarks and seize the Public Prosecutor. Furthermore, I asked my services to instruct the dissolution of Civitas. https://t.co/Fz5JF21tFV
Sunday in Pontmain (Mayenne), during the summer universities of Civitas, the controversial essayist Pierre Hillard had declared: “You had an event in September 1791, the naturalization of the Jews. “Before 1789, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist could not become French. For what ? Because they were heretics,” he continued, adding, “The naturalization of Jews in 1791 opens the door to immigration. Pierre Hillard had then estimated that it “would perhaps be necessary to find the situation before 1789”.
These comments were strongly condemned by several political figures, including elected officials from LFI and Renaissance, the Union of Jewish Students of France and the Licra, in particular.
In a message posted on X before that of the Minister of the Interior, Jean-Luc Mélenchon had appealed to Gérald Darmanin, because “anti-Semitism must be punished without weakness”. Mathilde Panot, president of the LFI deputies, announced that she would seize “the public prosecutor”.
After the announcement by the Minister of the Interior, an unusual fact, Jean-Luc Mélenchon gave the minister a thumbs up: “Darmanin gives a clear answer to the questioning of the Insoumis and the Licra. Anti-Semitism will be punished. Civitas will be dissolved and the public prosecutor is seized of the words of Pierre Hillard, “he wrote on X, republishing the minister’s message.
Darmanin gives a clear answer to the interpellation of the rebellious and the Licra. Anti-Semitism will be punished. Civitas will be dissolved and the public prosecutor is seized of the words of Pierre Hillard. https://t.co/7ah1sSTlT3
The UOIF also provided “its support for the dissolution process initiated” by the minister, in a post on X. The Civitas Institute, close to the Catholic far right, had been recognized in 2016 as eligible for party funding policies.
Civitas supported Éric Zemmour’s candidacy for the 2022 presidential election. This movement has organized several controversial actions recently.
Several dozen demonstrators close to the fundamentalist Catholic organization Civitas had prevented the holding of a concert on May 13 at the Saint-Cornély church in Carnac. The Lorient prosecutor’s office had opened an investigation for willful violence and obstruction of freedom of expression.
Last April, the Stop Homophobia and Mousse associations also filed a complaint against Civitas for discrimination on the basis of gender identity, after the cancellation of a concert by singer Bilal Hassani in a church in eastern France.
In February, Alain Escada, president of Civitas, also called on supporters of the movement to meet in Saint-Brévin (Loire-Atlantique) to demonstrate against the project for a reception center for asylum seekers (Cada).