The French prime minister said he was not involved in the debate about secularism in Quebec

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QUEBEC – France's prime minister has ruled out meddling in Canadian and Quebec politics, saying Quebec is on the right track in passing controversial secularism laws to protect the French language.

After defending himself to reporters that he is always careful about what he says about domestic politics in other countries and doesn't want politicians visiting his country to tell him what to do – Gabriel Attal was asked in a speech at the National Conference if he had any comments. The Assembly went too far on Thursday.

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“When I'm abroad and I talk to democratically elected politicians who have chosen this model, I think it's my responsibility to tell them that they're not alone in this model,” Attal said at a press conference at the end of his visit to Quebec City. .

Next to him stood the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, and Quebec lay ministers, past and present, stood nearby.

“Does this stifle political debate in Canada?” I don't think so,” said Attal, speaking fluently in English.

“Whenever I've been asked about the debate that can happen politically in Canada, I've always said that it's not my responsibility to interfere, it's my responsibility to say what the French model is, and to tell people who support the French. an example that they are not alone.”

On Thursday, Attal, who was on his first foreign mission since becoming France's prime minister in January, made glowing statements in the legislature about French and Quebec efforts to promote secularism.

He described secularism as “one of the 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 loneliness is, to those who try to deform it, to show it as a weapon against religion, to make people consider it a form of rejection of religion, to call it a species. to discrimination, we respond that modesty is a condition of liberty, equality and fraternity,” said Attal.

“We must never be ashamed of these values, our values, so let's defend them every day with strength, conviction and courage, without giving a millimeter to those who want to question them, because they are the heart of our being.”

Before Attal answered a question at a press conference, Legault praised Attal's second speech in two days about secularism, saying, “It was good for the prime minister to say you are not alone.”

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

The dispute follows this week's decision by the Montreal English School Board to file a recent lawsuit challenging Quebec's secularization law, Bill 21, to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In 2019, the Avenir Quebec government passed 21 bills banning public servants from wearing religious symbols.

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