What makes a great citizen? Or extra particularly, what makes a great French citizen?
In concept, you want look no additional than me - a current graduate of France’s obligatory 4 days of formation civique, or civic coaching, designed to get immigrants to “higher perceive the values of the Republic and French society”.
These coaching days, delivered in French, now await any Brit like myself who has migrated to France because the UK absolutely left the EU - and who's seeking to keep long-term.
As one of many many bureaucratic hoops that immigrants from exterior the EU, EEA and Switzerland have to leap by, the civic coaching days train you all about French tradition, values, historical past and sensible issues like how the social safety system and different state establishments work. Primarily, learn how to be a great resident in your new house.
The entire course of is a good suggestion in precept. Despite the fact that I’ve visited France a number of instances up to now and communicate the language of Molière, it may be very disorientating to pitch up in a international land the place you will have a restricted community and understanding of what it’s like to truly reside there.
So in concept, the civic coaching is a little bit of a lifeline as you drown amid a sea of varieties to fill in, attempt in useless to work out which social advantages you is likely to be entitled to, and customarily try to determine your self within the nation.
In observe although, I discovered the times a bit hit or miss, particularly from a UK perspective.
That is what occurs at French civic coaching
Let’s begin with one of many coaching’s predominant focuses: French and wider European values. Regardless of the present British authorities’s obvious need to distance itself as a lot as doable from something remotely European, the reality is we haven’t diverged from EU ideas that a lot since we Brexited over two years in the past.
When studying concerning the significance of freedom, democracy and equality, I couldn’t assist however really feel it was a bit redundant, as a result of these are nonetheless clearly the hallmarks of recent British values too.
There’s little doubt that the UK has an enormous solution to go in a few of these areas, be it ladies’s rights or stamping out institutional racism, however the identical might be mentioned for many EU nations. A few of which have far worse information than the UK in sure areas.
That’s to not say studying about European values isn’t needed. It’s necessary that individuals arriving from nations which could not be as liberal on the subject of LGBTQ+ rights or freedom of faith for instance, know that France is - by and huge - a free and tolerant nation.
However for somebody who comes from a spot which at its core has a really comparable set of values and tradition to France (as a lot as individuals on either side of the Channel would possibly hate to confess it), it doesn’t appear needed.
Regardless of this, I fairly loved the extra cultural facets of my civic coaching days, together with the mini historical past and geography classes we had (there have been no free samples of French cheese and wine to attempt, sadly).
Studying the literary giants and ‘integration homework’
A few of my classmates have been shocked to seek out out that France isn’t restricted to l’Hexagone we all know and love, but in addition has territory within the Americas and Africa.
I used to be pleased with my potential to reel off numerous trendy and historic French figures who've formed the nation’s previous and current, together with literary giants like Voltaire and Victor Hugo (an enormous due to my French A Stage academics).
And I used to be marginally disillusioned once we solely briefly glanced on the lyrics to La Marseillaise relatively than singing all of it collectively - one in all my occasion methods is that I do know the primary verse off by coronary heart (which is likely to be a damning indictment of what I’m like at events…).
As unusual as it would sound, one other optimistic concerning the coaching was the ‘homework’ they gave us on the finish of 1 session - particularly, setting ourselves three targets that may assist us combine into life in France. We then needed to report again subsequent session to share our experiences with the group and provide one another recommendation.
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Considered one of my targets was altering my UK driving licence to a French one. Nonetheless, I quickly came upon that I used to be within the uniquely fortunate state of affairs that as a result of it was issued earlier than Brexit, it nonetheless counts as an EU licence for so long as it stays legitimate.
A pleasant aspect impact of the civic coaching was having the ability to meet different individuals in the identical boat as me, from quite a lot of totally different locations, together with different European nations like Ukraine and numerous nations in Africa and the Center East. I even exchanged numbers with a man from Tunisia and have since met up with him for a drink, which is clearly helpful when beginning out in a brand new place.
Is the coaching value it?
So what’s my verdict? All in all, there’s undoubtedly worth in European nations making their migrants undergo some type of civic coaching.
It’s a good suggestion to introduce foreigners to how native programs work, be it the numbers to name in an emergency, youngster profit schemes or public healthcare. There’s tons I’d have completely missed had it not been for these 4 days.
In reality, studying about issues like that's so helpful that it’s a surprise different EU residents don’t need to undergo some type of civic coaching when transferring to France. Being a part of the bloc, they're exempt.
However it’s not just like the EU is even remotely uniform on the subject of the operations of the state.
Paradoxically although, it was these sensible classes that have been additionally the least pleasant - I a lot most well-liked listening to about France’s historical past, tradition and values, probably due to the consolation that exists in familiarity.
And since, finally, I’m nonetheless a sucker for the idyllic picture of France, the place the wine flows and the accordions are aplenty.
Or maybe it’s as a result of, regardless of current political occasions, I do know I’m nonetheless a great European citizen at coronary heart.
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