Reinforcing Laicité? Loi Confortant le Respect des Principes de la République (original) (raw)

To describe current struggles over laïcité as culture wars would qualify as an Americanization of a French debate. The recent public and political discussions on laïcité are over its proper French historical sense, the limits of its policy space, and its application under current challenges. Loi confortant le respect des principes de la République, known as the law on separatism, was put through an accelerated legislative procedure on December 9, 2020, the date which marks the anniversary of Loi du 9 Décembre 1905 concernant la separation des Églises et de l'État. The symbolic weight of the date cannot be overstated. Yet the making of the 2020 law on separatism was a light version of the making of the 1905 law on separation. The 1905 debates, rich in passion and reasoning, are replaced today by pragmatism and politicians substituting for public intellectuals. Jean Baubérot points out the factual errors and serious misinterpretations made by Minister Delegate for Citizenship Marlène Schiappa in her book, Laïcité, point! Shortened deliberation, substituting intellectuals with politicians, factual errors: it looks nothing short of the neoliberal age of France.

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