Condemned twice for his nativity scenes, RN mayor will install a new one

Julien Sánchez persists and signs. Following the confirmation of the ban this Wednesday on the installation of a nativity scene in the Beaucaire town hall, the RN mayor announces that a new one will be installed a few weeks before Christmas.

“Yes, I am still going to install a nativity scene because it is not the same exhibition as the one from 2017 and 2018 that were condemned. We are not going to present the same things”, advances the councilor on c news this Thursday.

The manger seen as “a religious sign”

The appeal of the municipality of Beaucaire (Gard) against a court order that orders him to remove the nativity scene installed in the town hall it was rejected on Wednesday by the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court.

The municipality for its part defended a nursery “certainly installed in the town hall” but that presented “a cultural, artistic or festive character”.

The issue that the Council of State has had to deal with in recent years can be summarized as follows in the premises of the highest administrative court:

“Is the nativity scene a religious sign or emblem whose installation in a building or public place is systematically prohibited by the provisions of the law of December 9, 1905 that guarantee respect for the principle of secularism?”

Defense of “Provencal traditions”

Julien Sanchez refutes the argument of respect for secularism, defending the cultural symbol of the nativity scene.

“We are at the gates of Provence here and the Provencal traditions are well rooted. (…) It will be a nursery with 250 saints of ancient trades”, explains the local elect to our colleagues.

Before specifying that there will be “a nativity scene but also many other things”.

The installation of Christmas cribs in administrative buildings has sparked a strong controversy in recent years, which has reached the courts on several occasions.

The Perpignan city council, led by RN Louis Aliot, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council of Laurent Wauquiez (LR) or the Vendée departmental council had been brought to trial.