Carlos Martens Bilongo had challenged the central government over a sea rescue vessel carrying hundreds of passengers in the Mediterranean that has not received a port. The outburst came from Grégoire de Furnas, a 37-year-old member of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, who later said his words were not aimed at Mr Martens Bilongo, but at migrants trying to reach Europe by sea. Other MPs had shouted angrily at him and each other after he had spoken. Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne said: “There is no place for racism in our democracy. “The Bureau of the National Assembly will meet and decide on the necessary sanction.” Stephane Sejourne, who leads President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, called on Mr de Fournas to resign, while the leftist Nupes alliance said he should be expelled. “The National Rally showed its true colors today,” Nupes said in a statement. “This racist slur is characteristic of the extreme right: stigmatize according to the color of your skin, divide the French people.” But Ms Le Pen insisted her colleague had said nothing bad, adding that he “obviously talked about the migrants who were brought in by boat. “The confrontation created by our political opponents … will not deceive the French.” Mr Martens Bilongo, a 31-year-old who was a teacher and activist before entering politics, responded to the incident by saying: “I put a question to the government as is done every week in the Assembly. “Only I couldn’t get to the end of my question because a National Rally MP interrupted me shouting ‘Go back to Africa!’ “I never thought I would hear those words in the National Assembly. But racism always takes hold, even in the most prestigious parts of democracy.” The French-born politician said that even if the words were aimed at migrants and not him, they would be “unjustified”, adding: “Has racism become so common that this proposal has been accepted?” “This episode reminds us of what the far right in France is: the contempt for institutions and the loathing of millions of our French compatriots. “This Thursday I had invited children from my constituency to the Assembly to watch my question to the government, with some pride. “I think of them. For them I will continue to exercise my mandate, never having to make excuses for the color of my skin. “And so that they can finally live free from the racism that, because of complacency, is progressing in this country.”
