Paris (AFP)
Surprisingly, the French Parliament 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 majority deputies.
Defended by the deputy Paul Molac, of the Libertés et Territoires group (which brings together elected representatives from the center right and the center left), the text will allow two major innovations: 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.
During the discussion, the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer had twice opposed the inclusion in the law of these two measures which he foresees "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 deputies La République en Marche (LREM), the majority in power).
His group had called for a vote against the bill.
This was finally adopted in accordance with the version already voted by the Senate in December 2020.
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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