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French writer quits job over Breivik essay

A writer who argued in an essay that Norway deserved mass-killer Anders Behring Breivik has stepped down from a post with top French publishers Gallimard, the company said Thursday.

French writer quits job over Breivik essay
Photo: DLSDPM

Richard Millet had not been fired, the company told AFP, saying he would continue to look after the writers he normally handled for the publishers.

But he would have to take a step back from some of Gallimard's activities and so had stepped down from the publishers' committee of readers.

Antoine Gallimard, chief executive of the publisher, had written to Millet to express his shock at the end of August, soon after the pamphlet "In Literary Praise of Anders Breivik" was published.

On Monday, Gallimard wrote to Millet to tell him that "as a member of the committee of readers, he represents the (publishing) house."

Millet, who says he has read Breivik's 1,500-page online manifesto in which the Norwegian set out his hateful world view, has insisted that he does not approve of the gunman's crimes.

However, Millet praised Breivik's writing and his cry of hatred for social democracy, immigration and multiculturalism.

"Breivik is without doubt what Norway deserves," wrote Millet in an 18-page pamphlet.

Breivik was as much a child of a broken family as he was the product of an ideological-racial divide caused by immigration from outside Europe over the past 20 years or so, he wrote.

A prolific novelist and essayist, Millet has been the editor of two winners of France's literary prize, the Goncourt — Jonathan Littel (2006) and last year's winner Alexis Jenni.

Breivik was sentenced last month to the maximum 21 years in prison for killing 77 people in a bomb attack and shooting rampage last year.

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POLITICS

France vows to block EU-South America trade deal in current form

France has vowed to prevent a trade deal between the European Union and the South American Mercosur bloc from being signed with its current terms, as the country is rocked by farmer protests.

France vows to block EU-South America trade deal in current form

The trade deal, which would include agricultural powers Argentina and Brazil, is among a litany of complaints by farmers in France and elsewhere in Europe who have been blocking roads to demand better conditions for their sector.

They fear it would further depress their produce prices amid increased competition from exporting nations that are not bound by strict and costly EU environmental laws.

READ ALSO Should I cancel my trip to France because of farmers’ protests?

“This Mercosur deal, as it stands, is not good for our farmers. It cannot be signed as is, it won’t be signed as is,” Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told broadcasters CNews and Europe 1.

The European Commission acknowledged on Tuesday that the conditions to conclude the deal with Mercosur, which also includes Paraguay and Uruguay, “are not quite there yet”.

The talks, however, are continuing, the commission said.

READ ALSO 5 minutes to understand French farmer protests

President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that France opposes the deal because it “doesn’t make Mercosur farmers and companies abide by the same rules as ours”.

The EU and the South American nations have been negotiating since 2000.

The contours of a deal were agreed in 2019, but a final version still needs to be ratified.

The accord aims to cut import tariffs on – mostly European – industrial and pharmaceutical goods, and on agricultural products.

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