Billionaires are 'harmful,' French politician Manon Aubry declares, sparking controversy

Manon Aubry, a prominent figure in the La France Insoumise party, ignited a political firestorm with her recent declaration that billionaires are "harmful." Speaking at the party's summer university, Aubry argued that simply taxing the wealthy is not enough. She advocated for a more radical approach, proposing a ban on billionaires to dismantle their control over media and curb environmental destruction. "If we want to be clear in a society where we will set things right, it is not only the rich who must be taxed, but billionaires must be banned," Aubry stated, emphasizing that their elimination would prevent individuals from monopolizing media outlets and damaging the planet. She further elaborated, "From a purely economic point of view, on which I have worked a lot, if we look at the details, I want to convince you how much billionaires are harmful." Aubry explicitly "owned" her statement, anticipating criticism and asserting that many people likely agree with her. However, her choice of words quickly drew sharp condemnation. Notably, Jean-Michel Aphatie, a commentator, accused Aubry of employing dangerous rhetoric. He drew parallels between her statement and historical antisemitic discourse, citing examples from Édouard Drumont's "La France juive" in 1886 and Adolf Hitler's remarks in 1933, both of which used the term "harmful" in relation to Jewish people. Aphatie characterized Aubry's language as belonging to "the words of violence and totalitarianism."

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If we want to be clear in a society where we will set things right, it is not only the rich who must be taxed, but billionaires must be banned.