Perpignan: Far-right-led city hall wants to display Nativity statues for year-end holidays
The opposition denounces an ideological act contrary to secular universalism, while the municipality says it wants to celebrate a Catalan tradition and attract tourists.
The city hall of Perpignan, led by the National Rally (RN), wishes to display Nativity statues throughout the city for the year-end holidays, a project that is drawing criticism from the municipal opposition.
Opposition councilors have denounced "a deliberate ideological act, contrary to secular universalism," arguing that a religious installation backed by the municipality contradicts the French principle of secularism.
The municipality, for its part, claims it wants to celebrate a Catalan tradition and attract tourists during the holiday season. Nativity scenes hold a long-standing place in Catalan traditions and, more broadly, in certain regional French Christmas traditions.
This dispute is part of a recurring debate in France over the presence of religious symbols in public and municipal spaces, a subject that regularly raises questions about the limits of the country's secular legal framework.
Sources
- Perpignan : la mairie RN veut exposer des statues de la Nativité pour les fêtes de fin d’année — Le Monde — Une
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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