A Breton flag in Morbihan (illustration). – GILE Michel
A partial green light. The Constitutional Council, whose referral had deeply divided the LREM deputies, censured this Friday part of the bill in favor of regional languages voted by surprise in Parliament.
If the Wise Men have accepted the new provisions allowing the financial support by the municipalities of the education of children following regional language lessons, they have on the other hand censored the “immersive teaching” of these languages and the use of signs. diacritics like the tilde (~) in civil status documents.
” Two weights, two measures “
Prepared by the Breton opposition MP Paul Molac (Liberties and Territories group), the bill “relating to the heritage protection of regional languages and their promotion” is a first for several decades. In this sense, “it’s a victory,” he said.
Today, following the decision of the Constitutional Council, the very question of the possibility of maintaining the Breton language in the short term is clearly posed and beyond that, that of the survival of all the indigenous languages spoken in France.
– Fulup Jakez (@Fulupj) May 21, 2021
While calling on the government to initiate a change in the Constitution: “On immersion, it is a totally outdated vision because we will have to do without a very effective pedagogy. It even puts a whole bunch of schools in insecurity with education in Breton but also in Basque, Catalan, Occitan. “
On the diacritics, “it’s quite incomprehensible: on the identity card, there will be English and it is authorized. It’s two weights, two measures, ”denounced the elected representative of Morbihan.
A text that divides within the majority
The text was adopted by Parliament on April 8 after a surprise vote by the National Assembly which ignored the government’s opposition to two essential measures of the proposed law: the establishment of immersive education (carried out for a much of school time in a language other than the dominant language) and the creation of a school package for private schools providing education in regional languages.
Part of the LREM group voted in favor of the bill, which in total was adopted by 247 votes in favor, 76 votes against and 19 abstentions. 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, had aroused strong tensions among the marchers.