Laurent Nuñez considers sanctions in opposition to a mayor of Dordogne who made anti-Semitic feedback | EUROtoday

The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, plans “to take sanctions which can range from suspension to revocation” in opposition to a mayor of Dordogne who made anti-Semitic remarks, Place Beauvau instructed Agence France-Presse (AFP), Monday December 22, confirming data from the newspaper Release.

Mr. Nuñez, who “strongly condemns” the remarks made by Bernard Bazinet, ” estimated (…) that this mayor no longer possesses the moral authority necessary to exercise his functions”the ministry said. “He therefore asked the prefect of Dordogne to hear the mayor to inform him of the seriousness of his remarks, incompatible with his capacity as mayor”we added.

According to Ici Périgord, Mr. Bazinet is summoned on Tuesday to the sub-prefecture of Nontron (Dordogne).

“I wasn’t necessarily aware that the term had anti-Semitic overtones”

On December 4, the mayor of Augignac, a city of 825 inhabitants positioned within the north of the division, commented “Yes to the boycott! France is too quirky to boycott! » below a Facebook post from Release devoted to Israel’s participation in Eurovision, the 2026 edition of which is threatened with boycott by several countries.

“It’s a comment that went completely beyond my thoughts. I was beside myself with what I was reading in reports on Palestine. When I saw that France had accepted Israel’s participation, it made me react in a stupid way.”Mr. Bazinet, a former member of the Socialist Party (PS), told AFP. “I was not necessarily aware that the term, which for me was slang, had anti-Semitic overtones. When I wanted to remove it, I saw that it had been shared everywhere and reprinted on CNews”he added.

Excluded from the Socialist Party

The mayor was summoned in January for public insult of a racist nature earlier than the delegate of the Périgueux prosecutor and must pay a advantageous of 500 euros, in accordance with Ici Périgord. The PS introduced on December 9 that it had excluded the elected consultant from Perigord, believing that “Anti-Semitism is a odious evil. No tolerance, no explanation can be heard”.

According to the final code of native authorities, the suspension of a mayor or deputy “is a precautionary measure pronounced by a ministerial decree, justified for a period not exceeding one month”and revocation ends in ineligibility “for a period of one year”.

The state of affairs of the mayor of Augignac provokes sturdy reactions within the native and nationwide political sphere. Several elected officers and associations expressed their indignation given the seriousness of the feedback made, emphasizing the significance of the struggle in opposition to anti-Semitism. The Ministry of the Interior insisted on the necessity to recall republican values ​​and the actual duty of elected officers in respecting these rules.

In this context, the process initiated in opposition to Mr. Bazinet is a part of a need for firmness displayed by the authorities. The prefect of Dordogne was accountable for conducting an interview with the mayor as a way to inform him of the seriousness of his actions and to evaluate the follow-up to be taken. This method is accompanied by broader reflection on the prevention and sanctioning of hate speech inside public establishments.