The standoff between the prefect and the assembly of Martinique around the officialization of the Creole language as an official language continues. In the administrative battle between the two authorities, a new round has just been played out before the administrative court of appeal of Bordeaux, and gives the advantage back to the prefect, although the latter had been dismissed before the administrative court of Martinique in last October.
On May 25, 2023, the Martinique assembly adopted a deliberation, article 1 of which recognizes the Creole language as the official language of Martinique, in the same way as French. Considering this deliberation illegal, the prefect of the community asked the administrative court of Martinique to suspend its execution pending a judgment on the merits. The judge of the court rejected this request.
Article 2 of the Constitution provides that “the language of the Republic is French”
The prefect of Martinique appealed to the judge of the administrative court of appeal of Bordeaux, who issued his order this Wednesday. This recalls in particular that article 2 of the Constitution of October 4, 1958 provides that “the language of the Republic is French”, and that it follows from article 1 of the law of August 4, 1994 that the language French is the language “of education, work, trade and public services”.
The judge in summary proceedings thus holds “that there is a serious doubt about the legality of Article 1 of the contested deliberation with regard to these provisions. » He orders, for this reason, “the suspension of its execution until the administrative court of Martinique has ruled on the merits of the request for annulment of this deliberation. » The battle is not yet over.