Arcom referral of Éric Zemmour remarks to prosecutors, Digi Mart USA News (France): France’s broadcast regulator, Arcom, has referred remarks made by far-right politician Éric Zemmour to the public prosecutor, according to the regulator’s president, Martin Ajdari, who announced the move on France Inter on Tuesday, November 3.
Ajdari said the referral was made by Arcom’s services last week over statements made on several channels. He described such referrals as “not unprecedented but relatively rare.”
The remarks under scrutiny were made after a large social mobilization on October 17. Zemmour, the far-right candidate in the most recent presidential election, reportedly said on LCI that “hordes of Maghrebi and African barbarians” were entering “the cities.” On BFMTV he referred to “Arab-Muslim racaille,” and on CNews he called for the “remigration” of looters, meaning the expulsion of foreigners.
Ajdari did not cite the specific passages, but said their repetition and their proximity across different channels had justified the referral to the judiciary. He added that the law does not give Arcom the power to ban a guest in advance, but that broadcasters are responsible for maintaining control of their airwaves and should contradict or qualify remarks that exceed the legal limits.
He also noted that individuals making such statements may face individual criminal liability. Zemmour has previously been convicted of incitement to discrimination, hatred or racial insult, according to the publisher’s report.
The report also notes that Arcom has been highly active ahead of the presidential election. On October 29, the regulator said it had issued a warning to Radio France over an edited segment broadcast by France Culture in June 2026 that suggested Jean-Luc Mélenchon had made antisemitic remarks comparable to those of Jean-Marie Le Pen.
