Emmanuel Macron defended immersive teaching in regional languages - John Thys / AP / SIPA
The President and the Constitutional Council obviously do not agree. This Wednesday on Facebook, Emmanuel Macron assured that “nothing can hinder” immersive teaching in regional languages, and “asked the government and Parliament to find the means to guarantee their transmission”. An intervention that comes after the censorship by the Constitutional Council on Friday of immersive education in regional languages.
The decision caused the concern of many elected officials from several regions and of his Modem ally François Bayrou. Monday, the president of Modem and mayor of Pau, spoke out against the decision of the Constitutional Council and considered that “the President of the Republic [devait] take up this issue ”.
“The law must liberate, never suffocate”
“The languages of France are a national treasure” and “continue to enrich our French culture. For decades, a major movement of transmission through the immersive school, through associations such as Diwan, Seaska, Calendretas, Bressola, ABCM and others, has brought these languages to life and guaranteed their future. Nothing can hinder this decisive action ”, assures Emmanuel Macron.
“The law must liberate, never suffocate. Open, never reduce, ”he said, referring to the decision of the Constitutional Council, without citing it. “The same color, the same accents, the same words: this is not our nation”. Calling himself “both protector of the French language and guardian of the richness that our regional languages constitute”, he explains that he “asked the government and Parliament to find the means to guarantee the transmission of this linguistic diversity while respecting the executives. widely recognized for half a century ”.
Concerned immersive schools
On May 21, the Constitutional Council had partially rebutted MP Paul Molac’s bill in favor of regional languages by censoring the immersive method at school, that is to say teaching carried out for a large part of school time in a language other than French. Tuesday in the Assembly, questioned by several elected officials worried about the consequences of this decision on existing immersive schools, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced that he had appointed two deputies on the subject.
The “Molac law” was adopted by Parliament on April 8 after a surprise vote by the Assembly, despite government opposition. Then, against the choice of the Prime Minister and the majority groups, the referral to the Constitutional Council on an individual basis, by 61 members of the majority, divided the elected “marchers”.