What does it mean to be French?

2009-11-25 17:35 BJT

France is launching a debate on an increasingly complicated question in an age of globalization and heightened tensions with its immigrants. What does it mean to be French?

Ordered by the government, the bout of national soul-searching will bring together people from all walks of life around France and overseas territories. It is slated to be held at regular intervals until the end of January.

Participants mull over questions, such as whether youths should be required to sing the national anthem at least once a year, how to integrate newcomers from former French colonies, and whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear all-encompassing veils.

The survey will be conducted via Internet. This will promote direct participation.

Pan Eric Besson, French Immigration Minister, said, "It works very well, There are more than 32-thousand contributions on the site. There are 200 debates that took place in various regions around the country."

However, it was not immediately clear how results of the debate will be turned into policy.

Herve Bourrat, 60-year-old, said, "To be French is a reference to my entire childhood, to my education, to symbols I can relate to within a group, and I know we are sharing more or less the same ideas because we followed a similar path, we lived the same events, we witnessed May, 1968."

Alfred Acolapse, said, "I was born in Togo, but I love France, I've lived in France for more than 20 years, It's a question of pride."

Critics fear such a debate will provide a forum for inflammatory rhetoric against foreigners. Others claim it is designed to prevent advances by far-right parties in regional elections to be held next spring.

Editor: Liu Anqi | Source: CCTV.com