Paris (AFP)
Emmanuel Macron promised on Tuesday new measures against communitarianism "in the coming weeks" but voted against the ban on community lists in the municipal elections in March, in a speech to the Congress of Mayors of France.
A reply in the form of an end of not received to the patron of the senators LR Bruno Retailleau who deposited on November 8 a proposal of law to fight against the "communitarian lists", in full controversy on this subject and the veil, in the wake of the debate on immigration to parliament wanted by the head of state.
"It's a renunciation of more.The Republic must set limits.With this reasoning we would not dissolve the anti-republican movements.The immobilism is running, nothing will stop it!" reacted Mr. Retailleau.
Aiming "political Islam" and "political Islamism" of those who have "a project of separation from the Republic", the head of state said that the government would "concrete new actions in the next weeks "without further details.
But, in the face of the community electoral lists, "it is not a question of proclaiming the ban to solve the problem," he said, stressing the difficulty of identifying them.
The text aims in particular to prevent the filing of lists or the financing of candidates leading a "communitarian campaign" and supporting claims "based on ethnic origin or religious affiliation".
"I can not, of course, remain silent on the issue of communitarianism, of political Islamism," said Emmanuel Macron, to mayors, many of whom have brought back cases of Salafist associations very active in their community.
"12 places of worship have been closed, 4 schools out of contract, 9 associative institutions, nearly 130 bars," said the head of state. "This action will continue to be carried out," he told mayors, "maybe new laws or stronger decisions are needed".
"But I want to call ourselves collectively not to confuse everything", "it is in no way a framework of combat or exclusion" against a part of French society. "It would be a profound historical mistake and a heavy political mistake".
Regarding community lists, saying "pragmatic" he felt that "it is not about proclaiming the ban to solve the problem" given the difficulty of identifying them. "I collectively call for caution" to "see all the consequences of what we propose".
"How to define them, who would judge them and according to what criteria?" "Who can think that such lists will come face to face?" launched Emmanuel Macron who called for the "political fight". We must "bring down the masks of those who fight the motto inscribed on the pediments of the town halls it covets".
© 2019 AFP