"Separatism": a highly sensitive bill before the Council of Ministers
The executive has stepped up precautions to avoid stigmatization.
Here Prime Minister Jean Castex and President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, November 17, 2020. AP - Ludovic Marin
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Formerly called the “separatism” law, the bill “consolidating republican principles” must be presented this Wednesday, December 9 in the Council of Ministers.
The parliamentary debates that followed promise to be lively because the long text of 57 articles touches on many freedoms.
It also provides for the creation of new offenses.
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Compulsory school from 3 years old, neutrality and protection of public services, control of associations, funding of religions: the
bill against separatism
, which aims to close the blind spots of the Republic in the face of Islamism, is presented this Wednesday in a sensitive political context.
Presented more than three and a half years after the start of Emmanuel Macron's five-year term, the text aims to respond to the concerns of the French about the threat of radical Islamism and jihadist terrorism, exacerbated after the beheading of Samuel Paty and
the Nice attack
.
Fighting hate online
In particular, it plans to fight online hatred.
The name and address of the professor's college had in fact been posted on Facebook, before his fatal assault.
Article 25 of the text therefore creates a new offense of endangering the life of others.
Disseminating the name or address of someone, without their knowledge and with the aim of harming them, on social networks will thus be punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros.
Also inspired by
the assassination of Samuel Paty
, article 4 of the bill provides for condemning the intimidation of public service agents on religious grounds or by ideological conviction.
Pressuring a professor to delete or stop one of these classes should this time be punishable by five years in prison.
The text will begin its journey to the National Assembly next January.
A sign that the government is walking on eggshells to avoid appearing as stigmatizing all Muslims,
the title of the law has continued to evolve
, evoking in turn the fight against "communitarianism", then against " separatism ”, before being baptized“ law consolidating the republican principles ”, without reference in its title to religion or secularism.
Avoid amalgamation
The government has several times revised its copy in search of a bill that is as “
balanced as possible
”.
The term “
radical Islamism
” - used by Emmanuel Macron during
his speech at Les Mureaux
- does not appear in the text.
The executive wanted to demine as much as possible.
But for the deputy Les Républicains Sébastien Huygues, wanting to fight radical Islamism without naming it is to miss its target.
“
It is very important to name things.
And the fact of not saying that this text is above all to fight against radical Islamism raises questions,
”he said.
A false subject, retorts Sacha Houlié, deputy of La République en Marche: “
In terms of Islamism, we have already named things on numerous occasions, either in anti-terrorism laws, or in laws that combat radical preaching in places of worship, so as not to have any problems on this subject
”
The debate is not just semantic.
By removing the word "Islamism", the government hopes to remove the risk of amalgamation with Muslims.
The message is also intended for the majority.
Because secularism is a sensitive area for walkers.
"
There are 50 shades of secularism
", notes a deputy, between those who hold a hard line against the veil and those who push for more integration.
"
There will be internal debates,
already warns a part of La République en Marche,
but that will not prevent the group from landing on the most marked track possible
".
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