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date: 06 March 2021

Abstract and Keywords

Republicanism, républicanisme: these apparently similar concepts hide substantial divergences on both sides of the Atlantic. While in the Anglo-American world the debate focuses on the historical tradition of liberty that republicanism is supposed to express best, the French historiography and the political discussion about republican values and myths tend to consider equality as the pivotal theme. This divergence has to do with the nature and development of the English, American, and French revolutions. While the conversation about the meaning and the implications of the concepts give rise to passionate debates among both scholars and policymakers, the exchanges between the two are quite scarce. In France, the republican ideal/ideology has had an overwhelming influence. Since the nineteenth century it has permeated all dimensions of public debate and the development of public institutions and policies. It is also an instrument for the exclusion of groups, parties, and movements that do not fully share this vision.

Keywords: centralization, citizenship, equality, État républicain, groups, institutions, laïcité, liberty, minorities, solidarity

Yves Mény

Yves Mény, Emeritus President of the European University Institute (2002–9), is currently the chair of the board of the Sant’Anna School for Advanced Studies in Pisa. His academic career includes positions in Rennes, Paris II, Sciences Po, and the European University Institute. He has taught in many American and European universities and is an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy. He has published extensively in the fields of French and comparative politics, public policies, and administration. His recentpublications have focused on corruption and populism, dealing with European integration, in particular the democratic deficit question and the tensions between EU policies and national politics.

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