The clause “Regional languages are part of France’s heritage” will be included in Article 75 of the french constitution.
Amending the Constitution has not been plain sailing: in May Breton deputy and Vice-President of the Assembly Marc Le Fur secured a special debate on minority languages in the lower chamber, during which several deputies defended the importance of linguistic diversity in the French state. The debate was poorly attended and the government hardly seemed enthusiastic about taking decisive steps to protect minority languages. It therefore came as a shock to almost everyone when, a matter of weeks later, Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) deputies proposed that Article 1 of the Constitution be amended to include a reference to regional languages.
The French Academy reacted angrily to the proposal, claiming that the inclusion of regional languages in the Constitution constituted an "attack on national identity". Within a week the Senate had voted against the amendment after it had been approved by the Assembly.
You can find a number of books on language policies in France, including some of
these.