European interculturalism in practice: modern urban policy of France

The article analyzes the most current trends in the management of cultural diversity in the European Union. The author shows that the new concept of interculturalism is presented as a key strategic element to the modern European societies. The European Commission created an online platform called «European Web Site on Integration» where the good examples of intercultural projects are being published. In 2008, the Council of Europe and the European Commission presented the project «Intercultural cities» as a new approach to overcome cultural and religious differences between European citizens and the newcomers. It offers European politicians to address national migration and social problems by paying close attention first of all to work at the municipal level. Now 135 cities all over the world are in this program, three of which are French ones - they are Paris, Strasbourg and Lyon. The article observes the latest legislative and conceptual initiatives of the French authorities as an attempt to solve the problem of the coexistence of indigenous citizens with the carriers of non-European cultural code. However, the European Union has so far only outlined a new strategy, for the successful implementation of which it has yet to develop a comprehensive program of intercultural interaction. Therefore, now there is still no joint migration policy in the EU. The same recommendations are fully applicable to French urban policy.