These “secularism referents” are provided for by the “law consolidating respect for the principles of the Republic”, said to be against “separatism”, adopted and promulgated in August.
The Minister of Public Service Amélie de Montchalin and her colleague delegate in charge of Citizenship Marlène Schiappa welcomed on Tuesday the establishment of “secular referents responsible for ensuring respect for the values of the Republic in public services“.
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Those “secularism referents“, Designated by each state administration, local authority or public health establishment, are provided for by”law reinforcing respect for the principles of the Republic“, Said against”separatism», Adopted and promulgated in August.
The establishment of these relays, which “ensure respect for the values of the Republic”, Will be effective in 2022 and will be accompanied by training in secularism for all public officials by 2025, indicate the ministers in a joint press release.
“I will make sure that all secularity referents are trained for their functions from the beginning of the year 2022 in order to support and advise all public officials on the concrete and daily application of the principle of secularism for the benefit of all. users of our public services», Specifies Amélie de Montchalin.
“The idea is that their proximity is optimal“
They will be chosen from among magistrates, civil servants and soldiers, active or retired, or among contractual agents on permanent contracts, specifies the implementing decree published on December 23 in the Official Journal.
“The idea is for their proximity to be optimal, so there will be one referent per service and per ministry, one referent per central administration, one per prefecture, one per hospital.», Indicated the Ministry of the Civil Service, specifying that these referents would benefit from a time arrangement to carry out this additional unpaid activity.
The law on separatism contains a battery of measures relating to the neutrality of the public service, the fight against online hatred, the supervision of family education, the reinforced control of associations, the transparency of religions and their funding. .
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This law also institutionalized a “national secularism day», December 9, the anniversary of the 1905 law of separation of churches and state.
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