Berge calls for joint vote against racism and antisemitism

Paris – 17.07.2026: Delegate Minister Aurore Berge has called for the broadest possible approval of the government bill against racism and antisemitism. If the National Assembly and the Senate were to vote unanimously in favor of the text, this would be a useful signal of unity for the country, she said on Friday. The bill was adopted by the Council of Ministers on July 9 and subsequently submitted to the Senate.

The initiative is titled Law on Republican Cohesion through the Fight against Racism and Antisemitism. It comprises ten articles and is being considered under the accelerated legislative procedure. According to the current schedule, the Senate will begin the first reading from October 2026; only afterwards will the National Assembly have its turn. A final decision before the end of the year therefore remains a political goal, not a fixed date.

Berge emphasizes that the bill has deliberately been designed more broadly than previous initiatives. It targets not only antisemitic acts and propaganda, but racist crimes in general. This was preceded in April by the withdrawal of a bill from Renaissance MP Caroline Yadan. The government then focused on consultations with parliamentary groups, municipal associations, victim and anti-racism organizations, as well as public authorities.

The core of the text is an expansion of the legal options for taking action. Associations combating racism should be able to join proceedings as injured parties more easily. In criminal offenses with a racist or antisemitic motive, aggravating circumstances should also be taken into account more consistently for less serious offenses. In addition, the bill provides for higher fines for similarly motivated violations.

Particularly visible politically is the planned ineligibility of officeholders convicted of certain serious racist or antisemitic offenses. According to the information available so far, this primarily concerns the denial of crimes against humanity or genocide, as well as serious racist and antisemitic acts. The measure goes back to a proposal put forward by President Emmanuel Macron in February.

Other provisions concern the protection of public service employees and digital hate crime. Under certain conditions, the state should be able to file a complaint on behalf of civil servants who have become victims of racist or antisemitic attacks. Stricter coercive measures in criminal proceedings are planned for repeat offenders. For digital content, the government is seeking faster responses from platforms following reports by the state reporting office PHAROS.

The bill stands alongside the national action plan for 2026 to 2029, which was presented on July 6. It contains 55 measures for education, victim support, police training and combating discrimination. Parliamentary consideration will show whether Berge’s assessment is correct: a limited text negotiated across party lines could gain a stronger majority after the conflicts surrounding the earlier bill.