'Political Islam' has no place in France, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron has said "political islam" has "no place" in France during a visit Tuesday to Mulhouse, in northeastern France, where he outlined the government's new strategy to fight 'Islamist separatism.'

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) arrives for a meeting with associations in Mulhouse, eastern France, on February 18, 2020, as part of a visit to announce the government's strategy to fight Islamist separatism. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

The government's plan to tackle what it has long dubbed communitarianism, or the separation of communities, has become under Macron the fight against 'Islamist separatism'.

"In some areas of France, separatism has wedged itself between communities," the President said last October.

On Tuesday, he vowed to "honour the promises" of the Republic to "fight separatism (...) discrimination and prioritise meritocracy," striving not to stigmatise French Muslims.

Macron was welcomed by huge crowds in Bourtzwiller, in Mulhouse, a town of 15,000 inhabitants, identified as needing to be “won back” by the Republic.

Accompanied by four ministers including interior minister Christophe Castaner, the head of state visited a local police station to take stock for himself of how well or little the state is fighting trafficking or radicalisation.

"Islam is facing a crisis. Certain radical groups would like to see it become political. Here in France, there is no place for political islam," Macron said in a long-awaited speech addressing the structuring of Islam in France, the schooling of children and the funding of places of worship, particularly from abroad.

His critics are also expecting him to mention the An-Nour mosque, which is being built in Mulhouse, and has been mostly funded by private donations from Qatar.

Local elections loom

The government's new strategy was first announced last October, after four police officers were stabbed to death by a radicalised colleague.

At the time, Macron vowed an 'unrelenting fight' against Islamist terrorism.

Monday's trip is the first in a series of outings due to last several weeks and is aimed at showing that the government is serious about cracking down on Islamic radicalism.

Right-wing opponents accuse the state of being too lax on the topic. The debate has intensified in recent months over furor sparked by a veiled Muslim mother being allowed to accompany her daughter on a school trip and the government's decision to allow candidates who promote identity politics to compete in local elections next month.

However, criticism has also emerged from the left of the political spectrum, with opponents accusing Macron of trying to outflank far-right leader Marine Le Pen with less than a month to go before the local elections.

"The president is trying to divert attention away from his policies," Communist MP Pierre Dharréville told BFM TV.

While, Bruno Retailleau from the conservative party, Les Republicains, told French news agency AFP "He is going to make a speech, but what action will he take?"

Macron, who has vowed to devote his remaining two years in office to strengthening the role of government, has dismissed the criticism, saying he "won't stop working just because there are elections."