A republic uncomfortable with what comes from above (God or Europe): political representation and laïcité in Europeanising France
France is regularly singled out in comparative studies for its ‘laïcité’, which is assumed to lead to the conflictual separation of politics and religion. The aim of this contribution is to discuss the actual specificity of French laïcité in comparison to other member states of the European Union (E...
| Subtitles: | Religion in the European Parliament: between nation and Europe |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge
2023
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| In: |
Religion, state & society
Year: 2023, Volume: 51, Issue: 4/5, Pages: 384-399 |
| Further subjects: | B
European Union
B Religion B European Parliament B Politics B France |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | France is regularly singled out in comparative studies for its ‘laïcité’, which is assumed to lead to the conflictual separation of politics and religion. The aim of this contribution is to discuss the actual specificity of French laïcité in comparison to other member states of the European Union (EU) regarding the interactions between nation, Europe, and religion. Empirically, we rely on a survey of five French members of the European Parliament (MEPs); an analysis of parliamentary questions related to ‘religion’ and ‘laïcité’ by French MEPs between 2019 and 2023; and two policy case studies (the counter-radicalisation strategy following terrorist attacks in the years 2000–2010 and the restriction of religious freedom during the pandemic in 2020–2021). Our findings suggest that French laïcité retains its singularity as a symbolic resource even if its policy practices do not differ greatly from what happens in other member states. In national as well as in European politics, French elites are still reluctant to deal with religion in the public space and use it as a marker of national identity only in a distant, secularised, and culturalised way. |
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| ISSN: | 1465-3974 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion, state & society
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/09637494.2023.2273057 |