Éric Zemmour, born in 1958, is a French politician, writer, and former journalist. Known for controversial views on immigration and Islam, he ran for the 2022 French presidential election and launched a nationalist party.
Éric Zemmour, a French right-wing to far-right politician, essayist, writer, and former political journalist, was born on August 31, 1958, in Montreuil, France. He is known for his controversial views on immigration and Islam in the country.
Éric Zemmour has been married to Mylène Chichportich since 1982. She is a lawyer of Tunisian Jewish descent specializing in bankruptcy law.
Éric Zemmour argues that anti-racism was initiated by François Mitterrand to distract from the left's shift towards economic liberalism in 1983. He views anti-racism as an ideology adopted by disillusioned former leftists.
In 1986, Éric Zemmour started his career on the politics desk at Le Quotidien de Paris under the editorship of Philippe Tesson.
After Le Quotidien de Paris went out of business in 1994, Éric Zemmour became a lead writer at Info-Matin for a year.
In 1996, Éric Zemmour joined Le Figaro as a political journalist.
Starting in September 2003, Éric Zemmour participated weekly on the show Ça se dispute on the 24-hour news channel i>Télé alongside Christophe Barbier and later Nicolas Domenach.
Starting in September 2006, Éric Zemmour rejoined France 2 to participate on the show On n'est pas couché, hosted by Laurent Ruquier, where they were responsible for presenting honest criticism of films, books, or musical albums.
On November 13, 2008, after a talk show on Arte discussing miscegenation, Éric Zemmour faced controversies due to his comments on races, stating that blacks and whites belonged to different races discernible by skin color without hierarchical ranking. He later responded to these criticisms in the magazine Vendredi.
On 25 March 2009, Éric Zemmour filed a complaint against the French rapper Youssoupha for 'criminal threats and public abuse' after being attacked in a song. The rapper clarified that he did not advocate silencing Zemmour by force.
Since 4 January 2010, Éric Zemmour has presented a short piece on RTL entitled Z comme Zemmour every Monday and Friday, during which he presents topical news analysis.
Éric Zemmour faced legal action by the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism after making discriminatory remarks on a TV show. He stated that French people with immigrant backgrounds were targeted due to the high number of Black and Arab traffickers.
In a judgment on February 18, 2011, the 17th chamber of the court of Paris acquitted Éric Zemmour of defamation charges related to remarks on traffickers. The court deemed the words 'shocking' but not 'defamatory'. However, Zemmour was fined 1,000 euros for justifying illegal discriminatory practices on France Ô.
On March 2, 2011, Éric Zemmour suggested abolishing laws on racial discrimination, memorial laws, prosecutions by anti-racist organizations, and subsidies to them in a speech to UMP members of Parliament. This statement was made at the national convention of The Reformers.
On 5 March 2011, voices were raised against Zemmour calling for his suspension from France 2. The CEO of France Télévisions refused, emphasizing the importance of diverse opinions within the legal framework.
On 27 May 2011, Laurent Ruquier announced in Le Parisien that he was replacing Zemmour and Naulleau with new contributors for the next season of On n'est pas couché.
On 26 October 2011, Éric Zemmour won his suit against the rapper Youssoupha and the director general of EMI Music France, Valérie Queinnec.
Éric Zemmour's father passed away in 2013, leading to a change in his synagogue attendance.
In May 2014, Zemmour faced allegations of inciting racial hatred due to comments made on RTL. The CSA warned RTL for broadcasting remarks that were deemed discriminatory, but Zemmour was acquitted of incitement to racial hatred in 2015.
In October 2014, Zemmour made controversial remarks about Muslims in an interview with an Italian newspaper. He was initially fined for inciting hatred against Muslims, but the conviction was later overturned in 2018.
On 17 November 2015, after the Paris terrorist attacks, Zemmour suggested bombing Molenbeek. This statement caused outrage in Belgium.
Zemmour accused Mediapart of violating privacy by publishing Denis Baupin's telephone exchanges, claiming they were part of a political revenge plot. He was sued for defamation by Cécile Duflot, but was acquitted by the Paris Criminal Court in 2018.
During a TV program in September 2016, Éric Zemmour stated that Muslims should choose 'between Islam and France' and made controversial remarks about jihadists. These statements led to legal repercussions for incitement to religious hatred.
Zemmour made controversial remarks on RTL about non-discrimination, leading to the High Audiovisual Council issuing a formal notice to RTL for broadcasting 'praise of discrimination'. The decision was later canceled by the Conseil d'Etat in 2018.
On 18 September 2018, controversy arose over Zemmour's comments on the first name of columnist Hapsatou Sy. His remarks were cut from the show but rebroadcast by Sy, leading to a complaint against Zemmour.
On September 17, 2019, the Cour de Cassation rejected Éric Zemmour's appeal against charges of 'implicit exhortation to discrimination' and 'call for discrimination'. This decision made his conviction on appeal definitive in domestic law.
On December 5, 2019, Éric Zemmour complained to the European Court of Human Rights based on freedom of expression. However, his appeal was rejected in December 2022, with the court emphasizing his responsibilities as a journalist and the impact of his words on societal rifts.
On 30 April 2020, Éric Zemmour was insulted and threatened in Paris as he was walking by himself carrying bags of groceries. The incident was recorded by the perpetrator himself who posted the video on social media.
The perpetrator who insulted and threatened Éric Zemmour received a suspended prison sentence of three months on 8 September 2020.
Zemmour was fined for insulting and inciting hatred towards Muslims during a speech in 2019. The Paris Court of Appeal later acquitted him in 2021, stating that his remarks did not target entire groups based on ethnicity, religion, or nationality.
On September 11, 2021, Éric Zemmour appeared as a guest on France 2's program 'On est en direct' with Laurent Ruquier. During the show, he did not confirm whether he would announce his candidacy for the 2022 presidential election.
On 14 September 2021, Harris Interactive credited Éric Zemmour with 10% of voting intentions, showing a significant increase in his support.
On September 15, 2021, Éric Zemmour released 'La France n'a pas dit son dernier mot', which was a commercial success, selling over 165,000 copies in the first 3 weeks.
Eric Zemmour signed his latest book in Toulon, southern France. With five months to go before France's next presidential election, Zemmour has emerged as a new controversial personality in the political scene.
On September 24, 2021, Éric Zemmour engaged in a highly publicized televised debate with left-wing presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, which attracted a large viewership of over 3.8 million. This event showcased Zemmour's presence in the political arena.
On 27 September 2021, Éric Zemmour was threatened in Paris when a man shouted a death threat in the name of Islam.
By 1 October 2021, Éric Zemmour's position in the polls improved as he reached 15% of voting intentions, positioning him as a potential contender for the second round of the election.
On 6 October, Éric Zemmour reached 17% of voting intentions, securing second place among all candidates for the first time, indicating a strong position in the election race.
Éric Zemmour, a far-right French TV pundit, has been rapidly gaining popularity in opinion polls for the French presidential election. He has been promoting his latest book which claims that immigration and Islam will destroy France, sparking outrage and controversy.
Éric Zemmour, a far-right polemicist, has a long history of ideas in France.
An update was made on Éric Zemmour's ideas in France.
On October 25, 2021, Éric Zemmour was seen in a recorded video interacting with a veiled woman and asking her to remove her hijab to demonstrate that she is free.
Eric Zemmour, a well-known provocateur in France, has unexpectedly surged in polls for the upcoming French presidential election. Despite being previously seen as a mere TV pundit, Zemmour's anti-immigrant and nationalist views have garnered significant support, putting him in contention with other prominent candidates.
On November 30, 2021, Éric Zemmour announced his candidacy for the 2022 French presidential election. He is known for his hard-line views on immigration and national identity.
A factsheet on Éric Zemmour published by the Bridge Initiative Team on December 1, 2021.
Éric Zemmour assumed office as the Leader of Reconquête on December 5, 2021, succeeding the establishment of the office. Reconquête is a political movement in France.
On December 9, 2021, Éric Zemmour participated in a presidential debate against Bruno Le Maire on Elysée 2022, aired on France 2. During the debate, Zemmour made controversial remarks about the #MeToo movement.
Eric Zemmour, the French far-right presidential candidate, has faced backlash for spreading false information about the Vichy government's role in the Holocaust. His comments on Jewish history, including the genocide of Jews during World War II, have been criticized as offensive and inaccurate.
On January 17, 2022, Éric Zemmour was found guilty by a Paris court for inciting racial hatred during a TV program on CNews in September 2020. He was fined €10,000 for his comments about child migrants.
In the latest survey by BFMTV on April 5, 2022, Éric Zemmour's support has dropped significantly to just 9% from his previous 16%.
In April 2022, the French presidential elections take place with right-wing writer Éric Zemmour standing at third place in the polls. Marine Le Pen is expected to carry the hard-Right's standard into the run-off.
Upcoming publication of the book 'Je n'ai pas dit mon dernier mot' by Éric Zemmour in collaboration with Rubempré.