Race & politics in France - A revealing incident?

[From David T at Harry's Place --Jeff Weintraub]
January 27, 2007
Le chagrin et la pitié

The Sorrow:

The French Socialist Party has voted to expel a senior member for saying there are too many black players in the national football team.
A panel decided remarks by Georges Freche, head of Languedoc-Roussillon south-east regional government, were incompatible with Socialist values.

The Pity:

On Thursday, a court fined Mr Freche 15,000 euros ($19,000) for describing Algerians who fought on France's side in the Algerian war of independence as sub-human.

[P.S. According the the BBC story quoted above, although M. Freche is leaving the Socialist Party, he "has no intention" of quitting his government posts. --JW]