France: demonstrations to defend the learning of regional languages
Public office for the Breton language in Rennes (illustrative image).
RFI / Lucie Bouteloup
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
This Saturday, May 29, demonstrations are being held across France to defend private schools where regional languages are taught in an immersive way.
The Constitutional Council in fact censured a law passed by the National Assembly which opened the way to this type of education in the public and this decision, in turn, weakened the status of private establishments.
A situation that embarrasses the majority and the government, currently divided on the subject.
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The Parisians against the provincials is an old French rivalry at the heart of the very political debate on regional languages.
And illustration within the government: facing the Minister of Education, Jean Michel Blanquer, a pure product of the capital and suspected of having maneuvered to obtain the censorship of the Molac law by the Constitutional Council, two heavyweights of the government anchored in territories where the subject is explosive, the Breton Jean-Yves Le Drian, head of diplomacy and the Prime Minister himself, Jean Castex, elected in the very Catalan Pyrénées-Orientales.
"
A chance for the Republic
"
The head of government thus defended regional languages before the Assembly this week, "
a chance for the Republic
" according to him.
But, in the majority, some are pushing for Emmanuel Macron to engage directly on the subject.
This is particularly the case of the boss of Modem, François Bayrou, from a region, Béarn, whose local language is classified in danger of extinction by Unesco.
The controversy also comes as the regional elections loom and the subject could still lose precious votes to a majority who already expects poor results.
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To read also: France: regional elections, instructions for use
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