At a time where tensions around the issue of racism and police violence are the highest, Sibeth Ndiaye wants to make things happen. In a column published in The World, the spokesman of the government suggested to re-open " a peaceful and constructive debate on ethnic statistics ", and " return with force to the tools to fight racial discrimination ".

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France, unlike anglo-saxon countries, has banned targeted policies, quotas or ethnic statistics to treat all citizens equally. While new protests against police violence and racism are organized on Saturday, the spokesperson asks : "Why not ask in a manner peaceful and constructive debate on ethnic statistics ? "

"We must not give up our project a universalist and republican"

"Because we have made universalism the foundation of our laws, but, not to be able to measure and look at the reality as it is, we let it grow fantasies," writes Sibeth Ndiaye, itself a franco-senegalese, who is said to have been " the experience of everyday racism ". "There is something there that we need to re-enter it urgent, because we must not give up our project a universalist and a republican, under penalty to give reason to those who subvert the meaning and exploit shamelessly the weaknesses ", argues this former socialist close to the head of the State.

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Sibeth Ndiaye believes that it is necessary so " we rest the question of the representation of people of color in public life, political, economic and cultural of our country." According to the spokesperson of the government, " we must return with force to the tools to fight racial discrimination without confusing them with the means to fight against the social discrimination ".

"The problem of racism in France is not settled"

" The problem of racism in France is not settled. But we can do it back at the price of an unflagging struggle, economic and social, democratic and republican, who must, once again, the honour of France ", calls it. "Dare to discuss publicly some of the topics yesterday, still discussed today become taboo, without falling into the usual trial of intent," concludes Sibeth Ndiaye.

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former Prime minister Manuel Valls was re-launched in 2015 as the issue of ethnic statistics, but François Hollande was shown to be much more reluctant. During his presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron was rather said to be "in favour of a pragmatic way to increase the testing, the criminal justice response, and the name and shame" (name and blame) for the firms practicing discrimination in hiring.