President Macron’s government has angered the French by launching national identity cards featuring the English language.
The cards, which were brought in this week, provide an English translation of the French terms, including nom (surname), prénoms (given names) or nationalité (nationality) — a formula that critics say is belittling.
Identity cards have existed in France since 1921, when they were brought in by police
to help single out and to catch criminals. In theory, they are not
compulsory.
Until now, they have been in French only. But that changed in the new version of the cards,
the first of which are being issued following a EU directive setting
out the format that must be followed by all member states to include at
least two languages.
In an article in Le Figaro, Mathieu Bock-Côté, a French-speaking Canadian sociologist, accused Macron
of abandoning the “fundamental identity” of France. He said Paris had
“conceded the privilege of European cosmopolitanism to the UK even
though it has left the EU”.