Two months before the European elections, the topics of debate follow one another but are not the same. After two attacks on schoolchildren in less than a week, including that of Samara, most likely linked to religious motives, the candidates' points of view diverge. If for Marie Toussaint (Les Écologists), the adequate response is found in the praise of
“gentleness”
, Léon Deffontaines (Communist Party) pleaded this Friday on LCI for a
“rearmament of the school”
.
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“The question of secularism is in decline. It is taught less and less because there is a lack of trained personnel. This is essential. When we see the return of religion to schools, we have a lot to do
,” the communist candidate was alarmed before denouncing the
“unraveling”
of the school carried out by Emmanuel Macron and
“the announcements of budget cuts of Bruno Le Maire
.
“A setback of the republican school”
, according to Léon Deffontaines.
Recognizing
“a rise in communitarianism and religion in our society”
, the former spokesperson for Fabien Roussel positioned himself in favor of a
“reaffirmation of the existence of a republican sanctuary, freed from the shackles of family and of the religious straitjacket. This sanctuary is the school of the Republic
. The communist leader defended the laws of 1905 and 2004, concerning the separation of Church and State and prohibiting the wearing of signs or outfits demonstrating religious affiliation in schools.
The opportunity for him to attack France Insoumise (LFI) head-on:
“We had the debates at the start of the year on the question of the abaya, I was frightened to see the position of certain deputies, particularly from LFI. Saying that it was necessary to review the 2004 law and that the veil was not an Islamic outfit. "It's either denying the problem because there is indeed a return of religion (...) otherwise, it's a form of clientelism,"
he criticized.
Denouncing the objective of a maximum 3% GDP deficit authorized by the Maastricht Treaty, Léon Deffontaines criticized the confinement of the European Union (EU)
“in neoliberal dogmas”
. Instead, the 28-year-old candidate explained that he wanted to
“make this European campaign a campaign around recovery, to put the social question at the heart of our project”
.