universalisme

The French republican principle that all citizens are equal before the law regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity — the state recognizes only individuals, not communities. This contrasts with Anglo-Saxon multiculturalism. French universalism drives laïcité, debates about religious symbols, and resistance to ethnic statistics. It remains a defining and contested feature of the French political model.

“L'universalisme républicain est un fondement de l'identité française, parfois en tension avec le multiculturalisme.”

In English: “Republican universalism is a cornerstone of French identity, sometimes in tension with multiculturalism.”