Jean Castex will set up the interministerial secularism committee on Thursday, July 15 in the morning, which will ratify an action plan in 17 measures, ranging from the training of all public officials to monitoring the deployment of “
secularity referents
” in the administrations.
Read also: What device to replace the Observatory of secularism?
This first interministerial committee, bringing together around ten members of the government, marks the effective replacement of the Observatory of Secularism, a consultative body abolished by decree a month ago after having been accused by certain policies of laxity vis-à-vis of Islamism, which its leaders have always defended.
The committee aims, according to Matignon, to "
set in motion the various administrations
" with the approach of the final adoption next week of the "
bill consolidating the republican principles
", which contains several measures around secularism.
"
The challenge for the Committee is to make these provisions a reality as soon as the law is promulgated
", insists the Ministry of the Interior, to which the secretariat of the committee will be entrusted in the form of a "
secularism office
".
This office will have to "
prepare and follow the decisions of the Interministerial Committee
", will provide "
legal advice
" and "
will be responsible for being the reference administration
" in matters of secularism, according to this source.
To read also: Secularism at school: “The
“ come as you are ”
has replaced the universalist ideal”
In the roadmap that will be validated on Thursday, there are therefore already known measures, such as the training of all agents from the three sides of the public service (State, territorial, hospital) in the principles of secularism, by 2025.
All eyes are on National Education, marked by the beheading in front of his college in Yvelines of Professor Samuel Paty, who had shown caricatures of Muhammad to his students.
Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer entrusted in February a mission to the former Inspector General of Education, Jean-Pierre Obin, intended to harmonize and improve training in secularism for teachers and school heads.
Within all the administrations will be deployed, from 2022, “
secularity referents
” dedicated to “
supporting agents who are in situations of isolation
” or questioning, explains the Ministry of the Civil Service, specifying that the network would be run by the Interior. Likewise, sub-prefects will be appointed in each department to "
animate local policies around secularism
", adds Beauvau. "
We must defend civil servants, we must not leave them alone with difficult questions, that's why we need referents
", argued Wednesday on Cnews Amélie de Montchalin, the Minister of the Function public.
Read also: Insufficient training, self-censorship: secularism, a weak subject among teachers
The bill currently being adopted extends the principle of religious neutrality to organizations or companies delegated to public service (transport, etc.).
And creates a “
deferred secularism
” which allows the prefects to seize the administrative judge vis-a-vis an act of a local collectivity which they consider contrary to the principles of secularism, such as the establishment of different schedules according to the genders in the swimming pools.
Finally, the committee will ratify the establishment of a “
secularism day
” on December 9, the anniversary of the famous law of 1905.