The motto of the French Republic on a church in France.
Laïcité is a form of secularism where the government does not involve itself with religion and religion does not involve itself with the government. There is a strict separation between the two, and the government does not legally recognize any religion. It only recognizes their organizations. Religion is considered a private matter. In a country that practices Laïcité, a politician is allowed to be religious and may practice their religion, although they usually keep their religious beliefs in their private life and not in their political life. They are usually discouraged from stating that their political beliefs originate from their religion. It has been historically associated with France and has influenced other countries, such as Mexico and Turkey.