A French lawmaker is under investigation after being recorded saying, “Maybe Hitler didn't kill enough of them,” when being confronted by Roma protesters.

Gilles Bourdouleix of the centrist Union des Democrates et Independants (UDI) party claims he was just repeating the words of the reporter who recorded him.

Bourdouleix was involved in a dispute with Roma campers who were allegedly illegally squatting on private property.  A local newspaper says the MP grew exasperated by “Nazi salutes” and “accusations of racism”.

The Nazis killed 500,000 Roma during World War II.

Hate speech is a serious business in France.  The UDI is moving to kick him out.  And the interior minister is asking local prosecutors to charge him with trying to “justify a crime against humanity”.  That’s punishable with a sentence of up to 5 years in prison and a A$60,000 fine.