Europe 1 with AFP 7 p.m., September 7, 2022
Brieuc Frogier, former representative of Éric Zemmour in New Caledonia during the presidential campaign, has been appointed special adviser to Sonia Backès, the Secretary of State for Citizenship.
He had however indicated in December 2021 that he did not “recognize himself at all” in the policy of Emmanuel Macron.
Brieuc Frogier, who had once been Eric Zemmour's representative in New Caledonia during the presidential campaign, has been appointed special adviser to the Secretary of State for Citizenship, Sonia Backès, according to a decree published Wednesday in the Official Journal, confirming information from France Info.
His past as a former support for Eric Zemmour was revealed on Wednesday by several media.
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Questioned on this point by AFP, the entourage of Sonia Backès did not comment.
Appointed in December 2021 as the representative in New Caledonia of "Reconquest", the party of Eric Zemmour, Brieuc Frogier, had explained that he did not "recognize himself at all in the policy led by Emmanuel Macron in Metropolitan France" and that the candidate extreme right was "the only one to outline future prospects for Caledonia".
He had supported Éric Zemmour
Brieuc Frogier, who today joined the non-independence coalition "Together!"
claiming to be Emmanuel Macron, had withdrawn in March 2022 from the campaign of Eric Zemmour, to whom he had however granted his sponsorship.
Close to Sonia Backès, he was elected in 2019 to advise the southern province of New Caledonia on the right-wing union list led by the Secretary of State, who has since chaired the executive of this community.
Brieuc Frogier was first a member of the Rassemblement-Les Républicains (local version of the Republicans).
It was the party of his father, Senator LR Pierre Frogier, signatory of the Nouméa agreement.
He then distanced himself from this historical formation of the non-independence movement.
The appointment of this former support of Eric Zemmour was criticized by the number one of the PS, Olivier Faure.
"When the barriers fall... maddening to see the extent to which the presidential party, which has made its fortune on the Republican front, has multiplied its outstretched hands to the far right since June. What conception of citizenship does it defend with this nomination?” wrote Olivier Faure on Twitter.
When the barriers fall… maddening to see the extent to which the presidential party, which has made its fortune on the Republican front, has multiplied its outstretched hands since June.
What conception of citizenship is he defending with this nomination https://t.co/zOS604YWbt
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) September 7, 2022
SOS Racisme calls for its withdrawal
In a statement, SOS Racisme believes that this appointment "is not trivial, since Brieuc Frogier gave his support - and even his sponsorship - to Eric Zemmour in the context of the last presidential election".
The association asked Elisabeth Borne "to put an end to the presence of this individual in the cabinet of a member of his government".
Questioned during the report of the Council of Ministers, the government spokesperson, Olivier Véran, did not wish to comment on this appointment.
However, he argued: "It is at the discretion of the Minister or the Chief of Staff to appoint advisers."