Abstract
The French Law on the Protection of the Heritage Character of Regional Languages and their Promotion, championed by Breton lawmaker Paul Molac (the so-called ‘Molac Law’), was adopted on 8 April 2021. It was enacted in a modified version, on 21 May 2021, after the Constitutional Council found some of its provisions unconstitutional. This piece of legislation represents the latest attempt of French lawmakers to strengthen the legal protection of regional languages. The present article starts with some background on the politics of language in France. It then presents the content of the Molac Law as adopted by the French National Assembly, the ensuing decision of the Constitutional Council, as well as the ideological hurdles and controversies that have surrounded them. It shows how the constitutionally- enforced unity principle continues to curtail proposals to advance the protection of regional languages and how this contrasts with the accommodation of language diversity as practiced locally in different territories of the French Republic.
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