In a Charged Environment, France Tackles Its Model of Secularism In an effort to fend off a challenge from the right, President Emmanuel Macron tries to frame a debate on two issues important to conservatives: the country’s “laïcité” model of secularism, and crime. President Emmanuel Macron in Montpellier on Monday.Credit...Pool photo by Guillaume Horcajuelo April 20, 2021Updated 2:39 p.m. ET PARIS — The French government on Tuesday initiated a wide-ranging public debate on France’s model of secularism, seeking to gain the upper hand on a contentious topic that has roiled the nation in recent months and is likely to be a battleground in a presidential election next year.