French PM says he did not meddle in Quebec’s secularism debate

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QUEBEC — The prime minister of France has denied meddling in Canadian and Quebec policy matters by telling Quebec it is on the right track in acting to protect the French language and adopting controversial secularism laws.

After defending himself by telling reporters he is always careful about what he says about domestic policies in other countries — and would not like politicians coming to his country to tell it what to do — Gabriel Attal was asked whether his comments in a speech at the National Assembly Thursday went too far.

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“I believe it is my responsibility, when I am abroad and when I speak to democratically elected politicians who have chosen this model … to tell them they are not alone with this model,” Attal said at a news conference closing his visit to Quebec City.

Quebec Premier François Legault stood next to him, while the former and current ministers of laicity in Quebec stood nearby.

“Is this interfering in political debate in Canada? I don’t think so,” Attal said in fluent English.

“Every time I was questioned about the debate that can exist politically in Canada, I always responded that my responsibility is not to interfere but my responsibility, and my conviction, is to tell what the French model is and to tell people who support the French model that they are not alone.”

On Thursday, Attal, who is on his first foreign mission since being appointed the French prime minister in January, raised eyebrows when he made glowing remarks on the floor of the legislature about French and Quebec efforts to advance secularism.

He described secularism as one “one of pillars of freedom,” because it creates equality and said jurisdictions that apply such rules have nothing to be ashamed of.

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“To those who insist on not understanding what laicity is, who try to deform it, to make it seem it is somehow an anti-religion weapon, to make people think it is a form of negation of religion, to say it is a form of discrimination, we respond that laicity is a condition of freedom, equality and fraternity,” Attal said.

“We should never be ashamed of these values, our values, so let us defend them every day, with strength, conviction and courage, defend them without ceding a millimetre to those who want to call them into question, defend them because they are at the heart of our identity.”

Before Attal answered the question at the news conference, Legault had lauded Attal’s speech for the second time in two days, saying, “It felt good to have the prime minister say you are not alone,” on secularism.

Attal was also asked if he discussed secularism with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when they met in Ottawa Wednesday. Attal said it was not on the agenda and not discussed. Trudeau has been known to have reservations about Quebec’s laws.

The controversy follows this week’s decision by the English Montreal School Board to appeal a recent court set back in its challenge of Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21, to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In 2019, the Coalition Avenir Quebec government adopted Bill 21 barring public servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols.

pauthier@postmedia.com

twitter.com/philipauthier

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