Understanding and interpreting France's national identity: The meanings of being French

France has recently held a national debate on the nature of its national identity. This grassroot process has lead thousands of French citizens to define in their own terms what it means to be French. Based upon these contributions, this article proposes a typology of the different meanings of being French and looks to throw light on these conceptions of citizenship, in explaining their respective origins and premises, but also in showing their potential and disadvantages with regard to the challenges of ethno-cultural pluralism.