Eric Zemmour withdraws from “Figaro” to promote his book – Le Monde

One more step towards a candidacy for the presidential election? Eric Zemmour announced, Wednesday 1^er August on his Twitter account, his decision to withdraw from the Figaro, where he wrote a weekly column, to promote his book.

“France is at a crossroads, but it has not said its last word, writes Mr. Zemmour on the social network. I go to meet the French to present my new book to them. “” As part of these exchanges with the French, I will no longer be able to ensure my weekend column in Le Figaro “, added the far-right polemicist, who also officiates every evening on CNews.

After being ousted by his historic editor, Albin Michel, Eric Zemmour himself published his essay in mid-September entitled: France has not said its last word. Albin Michel did not want to publish it, invoking the author’s desire to make it “A key element of his candidacy” for the presidential election.

Tried for “incitement to discrimination” and “racial insults”

Contacted by AFP, the editorial director of Figaro, Alexis Brézet, confirmed that Eric Zemmour would no longer provide his chronicles “Until the end of the promotion of his book”, the essayist having asked “To have time to go and see his readers”.

In June, Mr. Brézet assured his troops that Eric Zemmour would have to withdraw from the Figaro if he were to embark on the race for the Elysee. “We’re not there yet”, he told AFP on Wednesday. At the end of his promotional campaign, namely Eric Zemmour “Announces that he is not going and he returns to the newspaper, or he announces that he is going and the leave is intended to be extended”, added the editorial director of the daily.

In an interview in Nice morning published in early August, when asked what could prevent him from running for president, Eric Zemmour replied: “Material elements: the 500 signatures [d’élus] required, the financial means… But I have a lot of friends. We will see at the start of the school year; you don’t have much to wait. ” He can already count on the association Les Amis d’Eric Zemmour, which recently claimed to have collected ” one hundred ” sponsorship of elected officials for 2022.

But the agenda of the editorialist, already condemned several times by the courts, will also be marked by his trial on September 8 for “Incitement to discrimination” and “Racial insults” after qualifying unaccompanied minor migrants as “Thieves”, “Assassins” and “Rapists” on CNews in September 2020.