A deputy of the French National Rally, Grégoire de Fournas, demanded on Thursday in the parliamentary seat the «return to Africa» allegedly of a black deputy of La France Insoumise, Carlos Martens Bilongo, giving rise to a cross of accusations and numerous requests for dismissal addressed to the leadership of the ultra-right formation.
The incident in question took place during a plenary session in which the left-wing legislator was alerting about the situation of the hundreds of migrants rescued by NGO boats in the Mediterranean and waiting to be able to disembark at a safe post in southern Europe.
«Let him go to Africa,» proclaimed de Fournas, in a phrase that Martens Bilongo understood as directed at him. The LFI deputy said Friday in an interview with BFMTV that «there is no doubt» that he was the addressee of the proclamation and demanded, «out of dignity», the resignation of the National Rally deputy.
De Fournas apologized to Martens Bilongo if he could have «misinterpreted» his statements, but said he felt «victim» of a «manipulation». Thus, in a series of interviews, he has made it clear that he is still an MP, something that has no signs of changing in the short term insofar as he seems to have the clear backing of his party.
Former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has claimed on Twitter that her colleague was «obviously» referring to migrants rescued by NGOs, not Martens Bilongo. «The controversy created by our political opponents is crude and will not deceive the French,» she said.
For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, has also condemned on BFMTV the «ignominious» of the far-right lawmaker and declared himself «extremely shocked». Darmanin raised the debate and accused the leadership of Rassemblement Nationale, including Le Pen, of being «accomplices» of «racism».
