A Rainbow Named Desire in French Legislatures
by Karim Bennis on October 19, 2009 in Opinion
Imagine Janet Napolitano, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, saying the following about African-American citizens: “One black person is okay. It’s when you have many of them that problems start emerging.” We can easily predict the outrage that would result from U.S. senators, representatives, and President Obama. Similar words were uttered by Janet Napolitano’s French counterpart, Brice Hortefeux, about the French-Arab minority at a gathering of his party last month.
Yet, not a single elected official in France protested against this repugnant remark. This silence underscores the need for a rainbow shining on both chambers of Parliament – where racial and religious minorities are currently barely represented – to reflect the diversity of French society.
How is it possible that a country known for its human rights credentials has so few elected minority representatives? While minorities represent 12 percent of the French population, there are only two representatives among the 555 members of territorial France’s lower house to give a voice to the nation’s French of North African, Asian and black descent.
Any visitor to France immediately notices how the country is a mosaic of different cultures. But ethnic minorities cannot officially be classified or counted in France. Under its egalitarian ethos “Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood,” France refuses to group its citizens into ethnic categories or even designate ethnicity during a census. Thus, minorities’ aspirations to public office are mitigated because there is not even an official acknowledgement that they exist.
France’s opposition to ethnic labeling and counting of minorities makes it hard to raise critical issues affecting minorities and to hope for fair minority public representation. Belleville, on the Northern side of Paris, is a particularly ethnically diverse neighborhood. Whites live harmoniously with some 40 different creeds, faiths and languages in the town’s public housing tower-blocks. Next to art galleries, one can find croissants for sale at a local bakery whose Moroccan owner won the prize for the best Parisian baguette in 2007. He believes that his prize would be more meaningful if he could display in his shop a picture of him and an elected minority Member of Parliament holding the prize.
Another reason for the lack of minorities in government is a result of the majority’s attitude towards French-born offspring of immigrants. That French law forbids positive discrimination for minorities adds to the problem. Most mainstream political parties are still reluctant to put up immigrants as candidates for fear of alienating the mainstream Caucasian electorate.
“Where is the French Condoleezza Rice or Colin Powell?” asked President Sarkozy last year on a trip to America where he advocated for affirmative action. The truth is that a recent report by Institut Montaigne, a French think tank, revealed that 67 percent of voters feel more comfortable voting for a candidate whose first name is Jean-Pierre or Marianne, white, born in France, and of French parents and grandparents rather than voting for Mamadou or Samira, born in France of African ancestry.
Skeptics may argue that Rachida Dati, the former Attorney General born to North African Muslim parents, is a perfect example that France’s integration model has not completely failed and that it is still possible for children of immigrants to work their way to the top. However, Rachida Dati is just one exception to the rule. France has not sufficiently addressed the weaknesses of its republican system.
To increase minorities’ political participation, the voting system should be revamped. Switching to a proportional representation system is the best way to promote minority candidates and give them a chance to get elected. Minority candidates stand better chances of being elected on a long slate than as single nominees who must appeal to all the voters in a constituency.
In addition, introducing some sort of affirmative action by reserving some election places through a quota system for minority candidates is a way to slowly push French society toward greater acceptance of minority politicians. An encouraging first step has been taken by Yazid Sabeg, the government’s diversity commissioner. He has set up a group to offer proposals on the best way to measure French diversity.
The hope is that Mr. Hortefeux will one day be pronouncing the same words as one of his party members, former president Jacques Chirac: “France is an open, hospitable and generous country. United around a unique heritage from which they derive strength and pride, the French people enjoy a rich diversity. A diversity which must be accepted and must be at the heart of our identity.” If he believes these words deeply, he can send a strong message in reducing political alienation among minorities.
