Thursday morning, Prime Minister Jean Castex installed the first interministerial committee on secularism, which will endorse an action plan in 17 measures, ranging from the training of all public officials to monitoring the deployment of “secularity referents” in the administrations . The government’s ambition is twofold: to make all the ministries work together to promote secularism and implement the bill against separatism. The government intends to target specific sectors: the world of sport, national education or even health.
What will the secularism committee be used for?
Concretely, the concept of secularism will be extended to all bodies responsible for a public service mission: HLM offices, chambers of commerce but also family allowance funds, employment centers or even private swimming pools for the school public. Within all the administrations, will be deployed, from 2022, “secular referents” dedicated to “support the agents who are in situations of isolation” or questioning, explains the Ministry of the Civil Service, specifying that the network would be animated by the Interior. Likewise, sub-prefects will be appointed in each department to “animate local policies around secularism”, adds the Ministry of the Interior.
Among the measures of the plan, which have yet to be voted on in a bill currently being adopted by Parliament, is the extension of the principle of religious neutrality to organizations or companies delegated to public service, such as transport for example. A “deferred secularism” will also be created, which allows the prefects to seize the administrative judge in the face of an act of a local authority that they consider contrary to the principles of secularism, such as the establishment of differentiated schedules according to the genders in swimming pools. Another example: if a prefect notices community meals in a public school, he will have the opportunity to appeal to the administrative judge who will have to render a decision within two days.
The Secularism Observatory defends itself
This first interministerial committee, bringing together around ten members of the government, marks the effective replacement of the Observatory of Secularism, a consultative body abolished by decree a month ago after having been accused by certain policies of laxity vis-à-vis of Islamism, which its leaders have always defended. On Europe 1, Jean-Louis Bianco, former director, also denounces a “shocking, scandalous, unfounded accusation”.
“We have worked for eight years with people who are at the same time elected officials, specialists in questions of secularism and management of the religious fact and representatives of administrations. And our mission is secularism. It is not not just radical Islam, ”he recalls. “But we said from the first report that there was a danger because people wanted to fight against the Republic. We demanded that measures be taken so that prosecutors, whenever we do not respect equality between men and women or the laws of the Republic, act: that they initiate an investigation and file a complaint. “
“We are not the DGSI, we are not the secret services, we are not the Ministry of the Interior and we are not the prefectures”, he continues, defending a work around “daily secularism” and not the “secularism of the forums, of the courtroom, of grand declarations”.
Jean-Louis Bianco denounces a “false announcement”
In the roadmap that will be validated on Thursday, there are also already known measures, such as the training of all agents from the three sides of the public service (State, territorial, hospital) in the principles of secularism, by 2025. ” Since 2015, we have asked for the training of public officials and civil servants in secularism, “recalls Jean-Louis Bianco, tackling a” false announcement “. “We are fully aware of the danger,” he says, refuting accusations of angelism. “Simply, it must be treated with the means of the law and with accuracy.”
Jean-Louis Bianco still denounces “control” measures which omit a whole part of the concept of secularism. “Secularism is a formidable shield if it is used well, with intelligence, with firmness, with serenity. But it is also a tool for doing things in common. It is not only repressive, it is not t is not that control, it is learning to live together with our differences and respect the freedom of others, it is to respect the common rules “, he explains.
The Secularism Observatory was defended by several elected officials and personalities, in particular via forums. Without success. For the latter, the institution was the victim of “identity currents”. “Of those who seem to consider, and who say it sometimes for the most extreme of them, that we are all descendants of blond Gallic men, Catholics, Christians”, he underlines. “France is diverse and it is the chance for this diversity. We still have to give ourselves the means of integration: that people want it and that we give them the means to fit in, to get used to, to understand, to share. “
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