It’s been a hell of a week for France. On one hand, the country got acquainted with the freshly-launched presidential campaign of the “French Donald Trump” Eric Zemmour, whose entire campaign seems to be based on spewing anti-immigrant rhetoric. On the other, it honored the life of Josephine Baker, an American-born Black entertainer and French resistance fighter by inducting her into the Panthéon, France’s “Tomb of Heroes.”
“I just want to touch on the dichotomy between Zemmour declaring his run for president, and Josephine Baker being honored as the first Black woman to enter Panthéon. It’s almost as if France is stuck between two directions,” said RFI’s Christina Okello, who referred to Baker as “the face” of immigration. “As a black woman myself, I think she’s a great model, and France next year will have to choose, does it want to be an open country or be protectionist?”
But does Zemmour really stand a chance?
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“These issues in the case of Zemmour have animated his entire career and particularly his campaign: immigration and national identity. It’s a big question, if that… is enough to propel him. I think opinion polls show that arguably, it isn’t enough,” said The Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Dalton. “Once he’s confronted with a debate and has to come up with a campaign platform, there’s probably a ceiling to his support.”
Discussing Josephine Baker’s decision to move away from the then-racially segregated U.S. to a better life in France, The Daily Beast’s Nico Hines said: “When you take a look at the likes of Zemmour, it’s crucial to remember that historic difference that France has been a leading light in ways other young democracies haven’t managed.”
Watch the full The World This Week episode on France 24.
