France: Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Promises Anti-Semitism Law in April

During a ceremonial dinner marking the 40th anniversary of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif), Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced an intensification of legislative actions targeting ethnic and religious hatred. The head of government declared that the bill authored by MP Caroline Yadan will be included in the parliamentary agenda as early as April 2026. This initiative is a response to the sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents following the events of October 7, 2023, in Israel. The government emphasizes that traditional legal instruments are insufficient against contemporary manifestations of hostility, which are often masked as political criticism. The president of Crif, Yonathan Arfi, in his speech criticized the radical left, particularly the party La France Insoumise (LFI), calling it a "political sect" and a "threat to the Republic." Arfi called for the "de-Mélenchonization" of the French left, arguing that the rhetoric of the group poses an existential danger to French Jews. He was supported by Minister Aurore Bergé, who had previously called for the swift adoption of legislation targeting "new forms" of anti-Semitism. France has the largest Jewish community in Europe, numbering about 500,000 people. Since the 2000s, the country has been grappling with waves of anti-Semitism, which intensified after the terrorist attacks in Toulouse in 2012 and at the Hyper Cacher store in 2015.The new regulations are intended to strengthen criminal penalties and more precisely define acts of hatred in public and digital spaces. Although the technical details of Yadan's bill have not yet been fully disclosed, they are expected to spark a heated debate in the National Assembly, particularly in the context of freedom of speech and the definition of anti-Zionism. Prime Minister Lecornu emphasized that the state cannot tolerate a situation where citizens fear to manifest their identity, and perpetrators of hate attacks remain unpunished due to legal loopholes. „The government will include in the parliamentary agenda in April the bill carried by MP Caroline Yadan to fight renewed forms of anti-Semitism.” — Sébastien LecornuApril 2026 — start date of work on the billLegislative Work Schedule: February 19, 2026 — Official announcement by the Prime Minister during the Crif dinner; April 2026 — Planned start of debate in parliamentLeft-wing media emphasize the risk of limiting freedom of speech and political debate regarding conflicts in the Middle East. | Conservative media support harsher penalties and a clear dissociation from the rhetoric of La France Insoumise.