“Not a single student should hesitate to go to class.”

The deputies approved in the first reading this Wednesday, May 7, a senatorial bill destined to combat anti -Semitism and racism in higher education, which especially establishes the creation of a “common disciplinary section” to establishments of the same academic region.

The text related to the fight “against anti -Semitism, racism, discrimination, violence and hatred in higher education”, carried by Deputies Constance Le Grip (Renaissance) and Pierre Henriet (horizons), was adopted by 131 votes and 28 against, only LFI and the communist group voting against. It was approved unanimously in the Senate on February 20.

The bill followed an “Flash” information mission launched in the upper chamber after anti-Semitism positions accompanied the celebration of a pro-palestinian conference in Po Paris Sciences.

“Not a single student should hesitate to go to class because he is afraid to be exposed to anti -Semitism,” the discussions hit the Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste.

“Common Disciplinary Section”

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

The debates tense quickly in the hemicycle, often isolated in the face of criticism of the government’s coalition and the extreme right.

Reproaching the Government “to instrumentalize anti -Semitism to silence the voices for peace in genocide in Palestine”, in return LFI has seen accused of contributing to the emergence of semitism and electoral opportunism.

The deputies restored article 3, eliminated in the committee, creating a “common disciplinary section” to the establishments of the same academic region.

An amendment of the Government said that it could only be seized by the president or director of each establishment, not by the rector of the academic region, with the ambition to respond to concerns about the autonomy of the establishments.

Deputy Lfi Louis Boyard worried about the creation of a body in the hand of the Minister of Higher Education that will have “the power to exclude the students of his university.”

According to the text, the new section will be chaired by a member of the administrative jurisdiction and will include “administration representatives, establishments, representatives of the teaching staff and representatives of the users. Therefore, it cannot say that one would be in free will and that it would be the government that would give a hand in this section,” Pierre Henriet replied.