Values of the Republic

The values ​​of the French Republic come from a strong history emphasized by the French Revolution. The Marseillaise, the national anthem, was written at that time.

The French motto brings together three key values ​​of the Republic: freedom, equality and fraternity (in French “liberté, égalité, fraternité”). The principle of “laïcité” (religious neutrality of the State) is enshrined in the Constitution.

Freedom comes in different ways: individual freedom, worker’s freedom, citizen’s freedom … With one limit: the obligation to respect the freedom of others.

The principle of equality requires that every citizen must respect the rights of others, who are identical to his own. Nobody is above the law. In addition, the state leads policies in favor of republican equality.

Fraternity is about universality. The republican fraternity also comes with an organized system of solidarity at national level.

France is a “laïque” republic. This implies several principles, such as freedom of conscience, the right to criticize religions, the right to change religion, separation between religion and public services …

To learn more about the values ​​of the Republic, register for free on the MOOC Ensemble en France!