"We had to go far without cutting the link with the Republican police." Here, summarized by a close friend of Edouard Philippe, the crest line that the government is trying to follow on the issue of racism within the police. Monday, Christophe Castaner, who announced a series of measures to fight against this scourge, therefore called the police unions upstream to prevent them. The Minister of the Interior counts on their support and even if all, it seems, did not appreciate the firmness displayed by the executive, the reception is rather good.
"Trust and exemplarity"
Tuesday, it will be Edouard Philippe's turn to be on the front line on the subject. The Prime Minister must go, with his Minister of the Interior and that of Housing, Julien Denormandie, to a police station in Evry before visiting an association with young people from difficult neighborhoods. Objective: to state loud and clear that racism has no place in the police, as in the rest of society. At the top of the state, we plead for "confidence and exemplarity". "This involves strong acts and zero complacency," continues the same close to the Prime Minister.
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The government says it is well aware that the issue of racism is not limited to the police, hence this broader visit. Integration, employment ... the challenges are many when we talk about discrimination. "We have launched test campaigns on discrimination in hiring, but that is not enough", recognizes the entourage of Julien Denormandie.
Edouard Philippe should therefore this Tuesday morning "put the feet in the dish", according to his entourage. "Racism exists, everyone knows it," insists an adviser, before concluding: "If it was only a question among the police, it would be too easy."