"For a long time I have defended ideas and convictions and become what we call an intellectual. In truth, the problem in France is..."

"... that if you are not of the left, you are never called an intellectual. So they call you a sloppy polemicist instead.... Young people are always the first fanatics: you know, young communists, young fascists, young anarchists. Young people are susceptible to these things. They are very permeable. Also, this is not humanism. It is pacifism. Pacifism is the fear of confronting the enemy, of recognising him and fighting to preserve our civilisation. Humanism does not mean accepting that another civilisation must replace us and our civilisation. That’s not hating anyone. I do not hate anyone.... I repeat that I do not consider it racist to defend one’s culture. I do not consider it misogynistic to consider that men are not women. These are not protected areas for discussion. It’s a matter of words. They call me a racist. A racist is the one who measures skulls and considers that skin colour influences intelligence. I believe the contrary. I am an assimilationist. I think that wherever a person comes from he can become French if he appropriates the history of France and its popular culture. This is the opposite of racism." 

From "Éric Zemmour: ‘Am I the French Trump? No, I’m more like Boris’ Éric Zemmour, 63, is a former journalist whose inflammatory statements about immigrants have made him a new voice of the far right, to rival Marine Le Pen. Last week, it was revealed that his 28-year-old aide is expecting his child. So, what are his chances in next year’s French presidential election?" (London Times).

The interviewer, Andrew Billen, says he asks Zenmour "about his bizarre theory... that France’s resolve has been emasculated by feminists and homosexuals over the past 50 years." Billen calls this theory "worthy of the Canadian lobster-man philosopher Jordan Peterson" — lobster-man! — and pushes Zemmour about his use of the word "virilité" and asks if he's "masculine" and whether he got in fights when he was young. Answer:

"Was I a brawler? Mean to women? Not at all. No, I don’t have the looks. I don’t have the physique. And I don’t have the mentality either. No, no, I’m very French. I like flirting, the culture of flirtatiousness. I like French courtesy. I just think... there has been a domination of what we call women’s values, that is to say that peace is preferred to war, consensus over choice. It is these values that push your daughter to say, ‘Ooh là là! We must absolutely respect the values of others.’ Your daughter must be careful to respect other values, which are more masculine, like taking responsibility. It is man’s nature to defend."

"The dozen young people said they were part of a now 3,000-strong troop of young Zemmour activists who dub themselves 'Generation Z.'"

"They describe themselves as radical but not extremist, backing a man who wanted to get to the root of France's perceived ills. 'Zemmour speaks often about insecurity, it's a big topic. He has the courage to speak openly about it, without mincing his words. That touches me especially as a woman...We don't talk enough about insecurity in France,' said [23-year-old Anne-Lys] Falicon."

From "In France, right-wing maverick's young supporters campaign to cheers and jeers" (Reuters).

"A polarising figure who has made a TV and writing career testing the boundaries of political correctness, [Eric] Zemmour accuses the political class of allowing a steady erosion of traditional Christian values and national identity in France. Born in Paris to Jewish Algerians who emigrated to metropolitan France in the 1950s, Zemmour points to himself as an example of how France once successfully assimilated its migrant population. Now, he says, waves of immigrants have been allowed to loathe France and push back against its core values."