French minister rejects positive discrimination for minorities

Date: 23/05/02

By Simon Coss

FRANCE'S new state secretary for sustainable development, Tokia Saifi, says she does not believe that ethnic minorities should benefit from 'positive discrimination' to help them integrate.

Saifi, who gave up her seat in the European Parliament to take up the cabinet job, is the first French citizen of Algerian descent to hold a government post in the country since the North African nation gained its independence in 1962.

The Lille-based politician founded a national movement in 1999 to promote equality and persuade more French people of immigrant background to get involved in politics.

And, although Saifi is adamant that ethnic minorities should not receive 'special treatment', she acknowledged that her cabinet post was a breakthrough.

'I think President Jacques Chirac's decision to appoint me sends a strong signal both to France and Europe,' she said.

'It shows that it shouldn't matter whether you are called Pierre, Paul or Mohammed when it comes picking the best person for a given job.

'I got where I got to because of my competence. What matters is that everyone has a level playing field.'

Saifi, who like newly appointed Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a member of France's centre-right Democratie Libérale party, said she hoped that one day the question of whether or not a government minister was a member of a particular ethnic minority would not be an issue.

Although she is giving up her seat in the European Parliament - her party opposes 'double mandates' - Saifi maintains she will continue to be an EU enthusiast.

'My experience as an MEP taught me to put Europe at the heart of all my ideas,' she said.

France's new state secretary for sustainable development, Tokia Saifi, says she does not believe that ethnic minorities should benefit from 'positive discrimination' to help them integrate.