France’s National Assembly passed a law banning glottophobia- discrimination based on accents. The term ‘la glottophobie’ was coined by the French to refer to a form of discrimination based on intonation or tone associated with an accent. The law seeks to make linguistic discrimination a criminal offence alongside racism, sexism and other forms of outlawed bigotry.
Background
The roots of France’s landmark anti-glottophobia legislation can be traced back to October 2018, when a prominent left-wing politician openly mocked a veteran journalist’s southern accent during a televised interview.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the France Unbowed party, had been questioned about an ongoing corruption investigation by reporter Véronique Gaurel of broadcaster France 3. Instead of answering, he caricatured her accent and asked for the question to be repeated “in French that is more or less understandable.”
The footage set off outrage across France, with lawmakers and unions condemning the “verbal violence.” The incident fueled growing concern over discrimination facing speakers of minority French dialects.
Landmark Legislation Passed
In response, the government fast-tracked a bill outlawing glottophobia – prejudice based on accent or minority languages. The National Assembly overwhelmingly passed the legislation in November 2018.
The groundbreaking law is the first in the world to specifically protect native regional accents rather than just foreign accents. It has four key provisions:
- Banning glottophobia in workplaces and schools by adding language to non-discrimination statutes.
- Funding support programs focused on maintaining minority French dialects while teaching the standardized form.
- Requiring glottophobia awareness training for police, healthcare workers and other public sector roles.
- Launching media campaigns promoting appreciation of France’s linguistic diversity.
Early Successes Amid Ongoing Challenges
In the first few years since coming into force, the law has seen growing public acceptance of leaders like Prime Minister Jean Castex who speaks with a pronounced Pyrenean accent. Regional variations are increasingly heard in broadcasting as well.
However, deeply entrenched biases persist, especially in elite circles like academia, politics and the arts centered in Paris. Critics argue more action is needed to save endangered regional dialects. Enforcement gaps also exist between urban and rural areas.
Nonetheless, the legislation represents an important milestone, signaling that linguistic prejudice has no place in an inclusive French society. Though changing attitudes will take time, the anti-glottophobia law has sparked a national reckoning with equality spanning accent, origin and identity.