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Sarkozy Makes an Un-French Call for Diversity

President vows to end 'equality' policy that ignores race, ethnicity

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 18, 2008 6:18 AM CST

(Newser) – France has a long tradition of official blindness to race, ethnicity, and religion; all citizens, in theory, are equally French. But in practice, French companies are reluctant to hire employees with non-French names or addresses in ethnic neighborhoods, and France's 555-member parliament has only 1 MP of color. In a major speech yesterday, Nicolas Sarkozy called official equality a sham and vowed, unlike any president before him, to make diversity a French virtue.

As the Guardian reports, France's republican worship of liberty, equality, and fraternity goes so far that government is barred from even gathering statistics on its minority populations. But Sarkozy has now appointed a diversity commissioner to investigate how best to end the white stranglehold on higher education, the civil service, and the media. In his speech Sarkozy took a page from Barack Obama, whom he admires, and repeatedly called on France to deliver changement: change.

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Nicolas Sarkozy took a page from Barack Obama yesterday when he delivered a major speech on "change." (©andyket)

President Nicolas Sarkozy gives a speech focusing on social diversity at Polytechnique School, in a Paris suburb, Wednesday, Dec.17, 2008. Board reads: Equal chances and diversity. (AP Photo/Eric Feferberg; Pool)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy speaks during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Friday Dec. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

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How can we talk about a republic when your success at school and in professional life depends not on merit but largely on your social origin, the neighborhood where you live, your name, or the color of your skin? - Nicolas Sarkozy, French president

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Sarkozy Makes an Un-French Call for Diversity