School books in Breton language (illustration image).
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FRED TANNEAU / AFP
Parliament definitively adopted on Thursday an opposition bill to protect and promote regional languages, after the favorable vote of the National Assembly at second reading despite the reluctance of the government and LREM deputies.
Defended by the Liberties and Territories deputy Paul Molac, the text which was adopted by 247 votes in favor, 76 votes against and 19 abstentions, will allow two major innovations for the supporters of regional languages: the introduction of immersive education (carried out for a large part of school time in a language other than the dominant language) and the creation of a school package for private schools providing education in regional languages.
The government on the reserve
During the discussion, the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer had twice opposed the inclusion in law of these two measures which he provides for "chain consequences".
"We are in favor of the development of regional languages (...) but we have the right to be attentive to the modalities", underlined the minister, whose exchanges were sometimes tense with certain right-wing deputies.
"We question certain fundamental principles of our public school," also warned Christophe Castaner, the leader of the LREM deputies.
His group had called for a vote against the bill.
This was finally adopted in accordance with the version voted by the Senate in December 2020 as part of the first "niche" of the environmental group.
This is worth final adoption this Thursday by Parliament.
This text by the Liberties and Territories deputies had been voted on at first reading in early 2020 by the National Assembly, after having been partly emptied of its substance.
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