LE PRÉSIDENT SARKOZY ET LES RELIGIONS: VERS UNE „LAÏCITÉ OUVERTE” EN FRANCE
PRESIDENT SARKOZY AND RELIGIONS : TOWARDS AN „OPEN SECULARITY” („LAÏCITÉ OUVERTE”) IN FRANCE

Summary/Abstract: President Sarkozy and Religions : Towards an „Open Secularity” („laïcité ouverte”) in France. Since he was elected President of France in May 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy has developed an original conception of relations between politics and religion. During his meetings with Pope Benedict and Jewish or Moslem religious leaders, he has not been afraid to speek about major issues like the sense of human life, faith in God or Europe’s Christian roots. He has called believing citizens, especially Roman Catholics, to take part in France’s socio-political debates, particularly in the field of ethics. Moreover, he has promoted the new concept of „open” or „positive secularity” („laïcité ouverte” ou „positive”), in which the State not only allows the participation of religions in public life but even encourages it. In this way, President Sarkozy has opened a very new chapter in the story of a country well-known for its intransigent secularity, excluding religion from public life. The present contribution includes many quotations from Sarkozy’s speeches.

• Details
• Contents