Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of racism after whining that people are not allowed to utilize the word “ape” anymore adhering to the renaming of a classic story to get rid of a racial slur.
In a discussion on a tv programme called Quotidien, Mr Sarkozy criticised “elites” who he claimed were “like apes that pay attention to no-one”.
After that, in a rambling tirade, the 65-year-old said: “I no longer know, do we deserve to claim ‘monkey’.
” Because … we no more deserve to claim … What do we claim? Ten Little Soldiers now?”
” We probably can say monkeys, without disparaging any individual,” the former head of state added.
Mr Sarkozy appeared to be referencing the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None, which was initially published in 1939 with the title Ten Little N ****** after a minstrel track that features prominently in the book’s story.
The story has been referred to as Ten Little Indians or And Then There Were None in the UK because at the very least the mid-1980s, with recommendations to the racial slur removed.
Nonetheless, various other nations have actually been slower to alter the name, with French publications of guide only altering the title this year.
His remarks fasted to draw objection from political enemies.
” Beyond the debate on what we can claim or not. Will he Mr Sarkozy understand that one of the most aggravating part of this sequence is the speed with which his mind connects words ‘monkey’ with the word ‘n *****’?” Adrien Quatennens, a politician for the La France Insoumise celebration, created on Twitter.
Olivier Faure, initial secretary of the French Socialist Party, described Mr Sarkozy’s remarks as “bigotry without a mask”.
The previous head of state was accused of appealing to racist beliefs in 2015 when he singled out two non-white ministers in a mainly white government for allegations of incompetence.
The then-ruling Socialist Party criticised Mr Sarkozy over his choice to target Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, a Franco-Moroccan education and learning preacher, and Christiane Taubira, a justice priest.
Although Mr Sarkozy did not make use of clearly racist language, Socialist Party leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis claimed his criticism had “a certain connotation”.
” This strike is a little xenophobic, I believe,” Mr Cambadelis told RTL radio at the time.
Sarkozy was chosen as French president in 2007 yet served simply one term before being elected out in 2012.
He has actually ultimately retired from public life and also hardly ever makes media looks.
It was reported earlier this year that he is set to stand trial on corruption costs associated with his governmental political election campaign.