Read More By Le Figaro with AFP Published on 03/14/2023 at 17:23 PM, Updated on 03/14/2023 at 17:27 PM At the end of 2021, the Francophonie Avenir association asked the Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, to remove two plaques affixed in a corridor of City Hall. bnenin / stock.adobe.com No text states that inclusive writing violates the French language, the administrative court ruled on Tuesday, rejecting the appeal of an association that demanded the removal of two commemorative plaques from Paris City Hall. "Inclusive writing does not violate the law of August 4, 1994, relating to the use of the French language," nor "any other text or principle," the Paris administrative court stated. At the end of 2021, the Francophonie Avenir association unsuccessfully asked Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to remove two plaques affixed in a corridor of City Hall, at the entrance to the Paris Council chamber, which were engraved in inclusive writing. Aimed at promoting equal representation between women and men, inclusive writing consists of displaying both the masculine and feminine forms of a word around a midpoint. The plaques in question listed "the presidents of the Paris Council" and "the Paris councilors who have served more than 25 years." This writing "is not proper French," the association lamented, adding that, in addition to the removal of the plaques, it asked the Mayor of Paris "to cease using—or having used—this type of writing in public spaces." See also: Is it legal to impose inclusive writing in higher education? The Republicans (LR) and their allies had also protested against these plaques, accusing the left-wing majority of "rewriting history by engraving its ideology in the marble of City Hall." In May 2021, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer banned the use of inclusive writing via a circular, explaining that its "complexity" and "instability" constituted "obstacles to language acquisition and reading skills." But "the circumstances" of this decision, such as the letter from the French Academy at the same time also opposing the use of inclusive writing, are "irrelevant to the legality of the challenged decision by the City of Paris," the court ruled.
Published on 14/03/2023 at 17:23, Updated on 14/03/2023 at 17:27
At the end of 2021, the Francophonie Avenir association asked the Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, to remove two plaques affixed in a corridor of City Hall. bnenin / stock.adobe.com
No text states that inclusive writing contravenes the French language, the administrative court ruled on Tuesday, rejecting the appeal of an association that demanded the removal of two commemorative plaques from the Paris City Hall.
" Inclusive writing does not contravene the law of August 4, 1994 relating to the use of the French language " nor " any other text or principle ," the Paris Administrative Court ruled.
At the end of 2021, the Francophonie Avenir association had asked, in vain, the PS mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo to remove two plaques affixed in a corridor of the City Hall, at the entrance to the hemicycle of the Paris Council, and engraved in inclusive writing.
Aimed at achieving equal representation between women and men, inclusive writing consists of displaying both the masculine and feminine forms of a word around a midpoint. The plaques in question list " the presidents of the Paris Council " and " the Paris councilors who have served more than 25 years in office ." This writing " is not proper French ," lamented the association, which, in addition to demanding the removal of the plaques, asked the mayor of Paris " to cease using—or allowing the use of—this type of writing in public spaces ."
Read also: Do we have the right to impose inclusive writing in higher education?
The Republicans (LR) and their allies had also protested against these plaques, accusing the left-wing majority of " rewriting history by engraving its ideology in the marble of City Hall ." In May 2021, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer banned the use of inclusive writing via a circular, explaining that its " complexity " and " instability " constituted " obstacles to language acquisition and reading skills ." But " the circumstances " of this decision, such as the letter from the French Academy at the same time also opposing the use of inclusive writing, are " irrelevant to the legality of the challenged decision by the City of Paris ," the court ruled.
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