A far-right mayor in southern France has successfully defended a Christmas crib in his city hall against a legal complaint by secularists, by arguing that it represented a French tradition rather than a religious display.
Béziers Mayor Robert Ménard, who is close to the anti-immigrant National Front, installed the crib last December against the advice of the prefect, the local representative of the French state. Secularists promptly filed a legal complaint, arguing the crib violated the laïcité policy separating Church and state, but a judge rejected it.
Mr Ménard also let the local Jewish community set up a large Hanukkah menorah in the city hall.
A court in nearby Montpellier last week rejected the secularists’ appeal of that initial ruling, saying that the crib was a "cultural activity" that did not show any preference for the Christian religion.
Mr Ménard described the court ruling as a victory "against the laïcité hardliners who want to impose their will" and said there would be "a very large and beautiful crib at the city hall entrance to pay homage to the birth of Christ" next December.
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