President Macron defends French ‘laïcité’: what is this?

French President Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed his commitment to secularism and laïcité in France, as the country celebrates the 120th anniversary of the signing of the landmark law that brought the constitutional principle into effect. 

It comes as teachers report that an increasing number of students see state secularism as a hindrance to personal freedoms.

The president said France needs to ‘defend’ secularism – particularly in the education sector – in a post on social media site X on Tuesday December 9, the ‘national day of Secularism’ in France.

The date commemorates the law signed in by then-President Émile Loubet on December 9, 1905, although it did not come into effect until January 1, 1906.

The 1905 measure “states that faith is not above the law, that no one can impose their way of believing in their religion on another because they believe their faith is superior to the law,” said the president in a video message.

In the post, the president also paid tribute to teachers Samuel Paty and Dominique Bernard who were killed in acts of religious violence.

The teachers “must remain shining examples, guiding our path and our conduct in and through secularism,” the president said.

“[Secular public schools] offer every child the transmission of knowledge, positive knowledge, free from any religious, cultural, or identity-based bias, and the surest way to be free and to learn.”

You can see the president’s full video below.

What is laïcité?

The 1905 law separating church and state invokes the concept known as laïcité – broadly translated as secularism, and often seen as the fourth pillar of the French Republic – and has been a cornerstone of politics on the matter. 

The law applies in all of mainland France except in certain overseas areas, and in the Alsace and Moselle areas, annexed from the German Empire at the end of World War One and retaining certain German laws and privileges. 

Outside of the concept of secularism, laïcité also offers an idea of a state that is indivisible from its citizens. 

No single religious or ethnic grouping is above ‘France’ and the state, which comprises all of its people. In this context, it has also been used to strengthen central authority, including in matters of minority languages.

In daily life however, laïcité is mostly used to reiterate France’s enforced secularism in the public sector, especially in schools.

Previously, this largely related to Catholicism – France’s traditional state religion – including the teaching of Catholic values in school and wearing religiously symbolic items. 

In modern times however, it is often juxtaposed to Islam and Islamic teachings. 

Laïcité is one of the few political structures supported by both the left and right in France, and is one of the few areas where the two consistently vote together. Since 1905, several laws have broadened the concept of laïcité.

Challenges to laïcité in schools

The modern perception of laïcité is shifting however, as sociological conflict between the principle and a growing Islamic community in France becomes apparent, particularly in schools.

Second and third generation migrants from Islamic families can find themselves facing a domestic family life consisting of religious values and habits, and a public life at school where these are explicitly forbidden under laïcité rules.

Schools often become the focus of the matter, with teachers generally among the most stalwart defenders of the concept but increasingly finding themselves in danger for doing so.

The case of teacher Samuel Paty, murdered by an 18-year old after he was targeted through a social media campaign for reportedly showing images of the prophet Muhammad (an act forbidden in islam) during a class, continues to cast a shadow over teachers.

However, there is a growing perception among younger generations of laïcité as a burden, including those from nominally secular households. 

While figures surrounding violent attacks linked to secularism have remained stable in recent years according to the French Education Ministry, they can seem surprisingly high. 

In October 2025 there were 527 reported breaches of laïcité, including more than 100 challenges against school staff teaching on the subject. 

“The major concern we have at school is that [students] perceive laïcité essentially only as the prohibition of wearing religious symbols; they only retain the negative aspect,” said a middle school teacher from Montpellier to FranceInfo. 

“Our job is to show all the positive aspects of secularism, everything it allows: freedom of religion, freedom of thought,” she added.

“There is a fairly widespread view among young people that secularism is something that hinders, that is a threat to freedom. This is something that has been growing in recent years, that's undeniable,” added another teacher from Nantes.