Liberty, equality, fraternity – and discrimination

France is a nation that prides itself on its values: Liberté, égalité, fraternité. A fourth value, laïcité (secularism), is more recent, having celebrated 100 years of recognition in France in December 2025.

This important French value supposedly defends each one’s right to freely practice their religion without discrimination. Yet, for some, the lived experience is far from the ideals of the Republic when simple everyday administrative necessities are denied to them simply because of their religious connection.

Over the last few years, a worrying trend has emerged for religious associations in France. Several have reported that banks refuse to let them open accounts, and some have even had their existing accounts closed. Further to this, there has been an increase in rejections for insurance coverage, and the cancellation of existing policies. This writer has experienced this first hand: struggling for months to find an insurer for a religious organisation, receiving no written rejections, only phone calls; and witnessing an evangelical network’s bank accounts closed without reason.