Threat to secularism or victory for integration? The National Assembly ignited Tuesday evening to find out if the assessors of the polling stations could wear an Islamic veil.
For nearly two hours, the deputies tore themselves around a brief amendment, ultimately rejected, from the majority partner MoDem, which would have prohibited any ostentatious sign of religious affiliation for polling station staff, like this is already the case for political signs.
The subject did not fail to raise passions, already strong around the bill, known as “separatism”, on “respect for the principles of the Republic”, considered at second reading since Monday in the National Assembly.
Assessors not bound by religious neutrality
François Pupponi (MoDem) pointed out that the president of a polling station is bound by this religious neutrality, not his assessors, who may, however, be called upon to replace him.
Therefore, “We propose that all the members of a polling station be held to neutrality, including religious”, whatever the confession, he pleaded, paving the way for an avalanche of speeches, punctuated by a suspension of session to calm the atmosphere.
Minister Marlène Schiappa, representing the government, called for “Do not fuel a spiral of stigma and hatred”, emphasizing that as soon as an assessor replaced the president of the office he was already required to remove any possible religious symbol.
She also denounced a measure inspired by the case of the RN candidate for regional in Ile-de-France, Jordan Bardella, who had voted in an office where a veiled assessor stood. Jordan bardella “Did he have the feeling of being threatened? “, or does he have “Preferred to launch a controversy on social networks? “ she asked.
” That’s not a “amendement Bardella” but just common sense ”, replied the MoDem Bruno Millienne.
“You make me want to throw up”
The right, which makes the question of the veil its battle horse on this sensitive text, seized on this amendment “Timely” according to LR Eric Ciotti to raise the divisions within the majority on this subject.
Eric Ciotti has long stepped up to support the centrist group’s proposal and denounce the entire government bill against separatism as being a simple “Trickle of lukewarm water” in the face of the Islamist and terrorist threat.
Marlène Schiappa spoke again to salute the civility of the veiled woman at the polling station, with this spade against Eric Ciotti: “Maybe with more ladies like her and fewer people like you democracy would be better”. In return, the member for Alpes-Maritimes accused her of being “The ambassador of cowardice and inaction”.
Another moment of tension after Julien Aubert (LR) declared that France “Is not a multicultural or community democracy”. “You make me want to throw up”, launched the Socialist deputy of Paris Lamia El Aaraje, protesting against a vision of the Republic “Who opposes and who stigmatizes”.
“The polling station must be a place of complete neutrality”
Eric Coquerel for La France insoumise also rebelled against the “Discrimination vis-à-vis Muslims” who is “The best way to spread separatism”.
“We are coming out of an election where there was 25% participation and where polling stations desperately sought assessors. We are missing the point ”, regretted for her part Annie Chapelier of the Agir Ensemble group.
Assembly Vice President MoDem Sylvain Waserman tried to get everyone to agree by saying that he “There is no correlation between holding an assessor in France and terrorism” more than “The polling station must be a place of complete neutrality”.
Brahim Hammouche, also from MoDem, called on his colleagues to think about the following question: “Having a veiled woman in a polling station, is it a setback, a failure of the Republic, or a victory for the Republic? “ The amendment was ultimately rejected by a show of hands.
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