French election hopeful fined for race hate tirade

THE far-Right firebrand hoping to become France’s new president was yesterday convicted of spreading racial hatred.

Eric Zemmour, 63, was ordered to pay an £8,000 fine by the Paris criminal court – and risks a prison sentence if he fails to do so.

It followed a televised tirade in September 2020 during which he called child immigrants ‘thieves, rapists and murderers’. The magazine journalist-turned-television pundit has already been convicted twice on similar charges.

Opinion polls put Zemmour behind in the presidential race to Mr Macron and Marine Le Pen, of the far-Right National Rally, as well as Republican Valerie Pecresse. Recent reports suggest he may not pass the threshold of 500 endorsements needed to get on the ballot slip.

Zemmour, whose personal assistant – 35 years his junior – is expecting his baby, was first convicted of provoking racial hatred in 2011.