In defence of the republic: the place of the radical right in French debate over secularism

el lugar de la derecha radical en el debate francés sobre la laicidad

Abstract

This text analyses the turn to secularism [laïcité] by the National Front/National Rally as a legitimation strategy, and also examines the party’s place in French political debate on this issue. To do so, a thematic analysis is carried out of party programmes presented for the presidential elections since Marine Le Pen assumed leadership in 2011. It concludes by showing how, in contrast to liberal conceptions that prioritise equal rights, a substantive, identity-based version of secularism has gradually been imposed in public policies established in France. It is this vision of secularism that has allowed the party to appropriate the issue, presenting itself as the true defender of the Republic and its values in the face of a supposed threat from Muslim immigration.