"An alarming increase in acts": examination of the law against anti-Semitism in higher education begins

A bill to combat anti-Semitism in higher education, unanimously adopted by the Senate, began its examination on Tuesday, May 6, in the National Assembly, with members of parliament immediately displaying their disagreement over the proposed sanctions mechanism.

"Not a single student should hesitate to go to class because they fear being exposed to anti-Semitism," insisted Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste at the opening of the debates.

"Since October 7, 2023, we have witnessed an alarming increase in anti-Semitic acts in our society and higher education, unfortunately, has not been spared," he added.

The text, supported by Pierre Henriet (Horizons) and Constance Le Grip (Macronist group Ensemble pour la République), aims in particular to strengthen prevention and reporting systems, by making mandatory within each establishment "referents" dedicated to the fight against racism and anti-Semitism.

The original text also provided in its Article 3, deleted during its examination by the committee, the creation of a "common disciplinary section" for establishments in the same academic region, chaired by a member of the administrative jurisdiction.

Co-rapporteur Pierre Henriet intends to defend the reintroduction of this provision by amendment on Tuesday, and asserts that this would allow heads of establishments to outsource the disciplinary process on the most sensitive cases.

He recalled that nine out of ten Jewish students say they have experienced anti-Semitic acts or remarks at university, according to a survey by the Union of Jewish Students of France.

"Strengthening disciplinary procedures is necessary," as these procedures are often "too long," and "anti-Semitic acts are too rarely punished," said MoDem MP Géraldine Bannier.

But the left is opposed to this Article 3. "The desire to professionalize disciplinary justice by resorting to an administrative judge breaks with the tradition of autonomous universities," criticized the Green Party MP Steevy Gustave.

Communist Jean-Paul Lecoq criticized the list of acts liable to disciplinary action added to the education code by the same article, including in particular "acts likely to undermine order and the proper functioning of the establishment."

These provisions, he says, risk "undermining students' rights and freedom of demonstration." Marie Mesmeur, a LFI MP and member of the committee that studied the text, denounced the "liberticidal" measures of "the right and the far right" to AFP.

On Tuesday, several right-wing MPs in turn accused the left of "looking the other way" in the face of anti-Semitism, in the words of LR MP Alexandre Portier.

The text also includes "mandatory awareness-raising" on the fight against anti-Semitism and racism within the training missions of establishments.

A week ago, the government received a report containing measures against anti-Semitism, which could be applied to other forms of racism, and which particularly emphasized the training of teaching staff and civil servants.