The Minister for Citizenship, Marlène Schiappa, at the National Assembly on March 30, 2021. – Jacques Witt / SIPA
By Marlène Schiappa’s own admission, secularism “is a subject of passion”. Faced with this divisive question, “the idea is to say: let’s talk about it together and listen to each other”, explains the Minister for Citizenship in an interview with Sunday Newspaper. “States General of secularism” will therefore be held and in particular give rise to a “major consultation” with young people.
The kickoff of these States General will be given Tuesday at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts (Cnam) in Paris “with a high-level conference between intellectuals of all sensibilities”, specifies Marlène Schiappa, citing among others the academician Barbara Cassin, essayist Caroline Fourest and philosopher Gaspard Koenig. Until the summer, “round tables and working groups on freedom of expression, research, youth, citizen integration” will be organized, she adds, assuring that she would also leave “card blanche ”to associations and unions.
Critic of Europe Ecology
A “major consultation with Make.org” will finally be launched “with 50,000 young people”, adds the minister, according to which all the exchanges must “be the occasion to unite us around French secularism”. “Secularism is in no way a weapon of repression against religions”, assures Marlène Schiappa. “We want to get out of the pincers between the far-right identitarians on one side and the indigenous people and Europe Écologie-Les Verts on the other. I invite everyone to speak within the framework of the States General ”.