An administrative court ruled last year that Christmas cribs could only be displayed in public buildings if the intent was “cultural, artistic or festive” to protect France’s secular ideals.

But Laurent Wauquiez, the president of France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the front-runner for the leadership of the conservative The Republicans party, cleverly circumvented a French court’s ban on a nativity scene in his local offices by promoting this year’s crib as a “cultural” exhibit.

Last year, the State Council – France’s highest administrative court – ruled that Christmas cribs could only be allowed in town halls and other public buildings if they had a “cultural, artistic or festive purpose” and did not “demonstrate a public recognition or preference for a given religion”.

The ruling came after secular organisations said that the cribs breached France’s strict 1905 ‘laïcité’ law on the separation of church and state.

Mr Wauquiez said his ‘crib’ was in fact a “celebration” of the art of making santons, the traditional hand-coloured terracotta Christmas crib figurines, after a Lyon court ruled last month that the nativity scene set up in the hallway of his offices last year flouted rules on secularism.

He said: “Judges have banned us from displaying a nativity scene in the town hall and other public buildings. 

“And so this year, we have organised an exhibit about the art of making santons. 

“The aim is to put forward this extraordinary savoir-faire, and for people to find out more about how the traditional figurines are made.”.

Mr Wauquiez’s ‘santons exhibit’ is a Christmas crib in all but name. 

While Mr Wauquiez’s bold move was slammed by local left-wingers as “provocative,” it was applauded by his supporters, including his right-hand woman Virginie Calmels.

Mrs Calmels told RTL radio: “This is not a debate we should be having… The French need to stop apologising for their Judeo-Christian roots. They need to stop denying these roots full stop.

“Is secularism being called into question because nativity scenes are on display in town halls? I very much doubt it.”

Secularism is a serious issue in France, where conspicuous religious symbols, including the Muslim headscarf, crucifixes and Jewish kippahs, are banned from public institutions such as state schools or town halls.

It comes as Mr Wauquiez’s  tough stance on immigration and Eurosceptic views has earned him the support of members of the French hard-right and nationalists.

The protégé of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, the 42-year-old is the favourite to win the party’s leadership contest in December.

And France’s leading conservative has his eyes firmly set on Emmanuel Macron’s job - criticising the President for falling into the “trap” of being too moderate.