France to ban far-right party Civitas over anti-Semitic remarks

France's Interior Minister on Monday said he had ordered the dissolution of Civitas, a far-right party and organisation made up mostly of ultra-traditional Catholics, because of its anti-Semitism.

Demonstrators hold flags during a demonstration called by fundamentalist Catholic organisation Civitas in front of Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) statue on May 8, 2016 in Paris. AFP - FRANCOIS GUILLOT

Gerald Darmanin said in a tweet that he had asked the ministry "to proceed to the dissolution" of the party Civitas, "firmly" condemning anti-Semitic remarks made during its summer seminar last month.

"There is no room for anti-Semitism in our country," Darmanin said in his post.

"I firmly condemn these despicable comments and am taking the matter to the national prosecutor," he said.

L’antisémitisme n’a pas sa place dans notre pays. Je condamne fermement ces propos ignominieux et saisis le Procureur de la République. Par ailleurs, j’ai demandé à mes services d’instruire la dissolution de Civitas. https://t.co/Fz5JF21tFV

— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) August 7, 2023

At that meeting, on 30 July, polemicist Pierre Hillard told his audience that before the French Revolution of 1789, Jews and other religious minorities could not become French citizens because they were "heretics".

Hillard said that "maybe we should go back to how things were before 1789".

Several politicians and Jewish organisations also condemned the remarks.

Civitas, which claims to have 165,000 members, was recognised as a political party in 2016, and has been receiving public financing thanks to that decision.

Civitas backed far-right figure Eric Zemmour in last year's presidential election, fought against the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2013 and is staunchly anti-immigration.

Its members also sometimes disrupt public events when they involve non-heterosexual performers, and the party is the target of sexual discrimination complaints over alleged homophobia.

(with AFP)