Is making fun of a local accent normal? A sanction has been devised with the aim of stopping this discrimination. But it’s not for now.
One in two French people believe they speak with an accent, according to an IFOP survey published in January 2020. Among those questioned, 27% say they are regularly the object of mockery in their daily lives and 16% say they have been victims of discrimination during a competition, an exam or a job interview , because of this accent. This form of discrimination based on language, languages or certain regional accents has a name: glottophobia.
Whether it is Ch’ti, Toulouse, Marseille or West Indian, your accent can be the target of more or less stigmatizing a priori. “There are rather sympathetic prejudices with those from the south because we have visions of vacations that come with them. It’s much more negative sometimes with those from the islands or the suburbs,” notes former MP Christophe Euzet on France 3 Regions. Actress Adèle Exarchopoulos also received numerous comments about her “scum” accent after the César ceremony in February 2024.
“The so-called suburban accent is one of the most disabling accents. It can be disqualifying,” summarizes Philippe Boula de Mareuil, linguistics researcher at the CNRS at Parisian. Indeed, in the professional sector, many “erase” this particularity to avoid discrimination linked to hiring. Over time, the “neutral” or “standard” accent has become a norm, particularly in the media where we see a standardization of the voice according to theINA.
To fight against “glottophobia”, the former deputy for Hérault and member of the Agir group allied to the majority, Christophe Euzet, presented a bill aimed at “promoting the France of accents”. It intends to “include this new discriminatory criterion both in the penal code, in the labor code and in the public service”, indicates Public life.
Accent is therefore considered one of the “causes of discrimination sanctioned by law, alongside the 22 existing criteria (origin, sex, family situation, disability, political opinions, surname, etc.)”. If this proposal is adopted – which is not planned at the moment – those sanctioned will face up to three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros, depending on the sanction imagined by the parliamentarian and his supporters.
In November 2020, the bill was passed by the National Assembly by 98 votes to three. As is the procedure, this text was to be examined and approved by the Senate in 2021, but three years later, it is still not on the agenda. “The senators nevertheless have the reputation of being the defenders of the territories. The debate was taken seriously in the National Assembly. But as soon as it has passed, we lose sight of these very important battles”, deplores Christophe Euzet on France Blue. It is not impossible that the law will return to Parliament, but it is not a priority.