Marine Le Pen voting in favor of the immigration law of Emmanuel Macron’s Government and the deputies of Macron’s party voting against their own immigration law. This contradiction may occur this Tuesday in the Assembly and represents the new episode of political crisis in France as a result of the debate on this controversial project.
The tense debate on the French immigration law and its vote, scheduled this Tuesday night, shows several things: the weakness of the Government and the dominant position of the right, which has taken control of the debate, while the bloc The left continues to deflate. It confirms the situation of blockade that the country is experiencing, since, without a majority in the Assembly, Emmanuel Macron has his hands tied and needs to reach an agreement. And it also opens a gap within Macronism, which criticizes that this text is going to be carried out with the right.
This crisis throws up paradoxical situations such as the one mentioned above: Le Pen, leader of the National Rally and Macron’s rival, has announced that she is going to vote in favor of the law, while deputies from her party threaten to rebel and vote against a text that They consider that it has gone right and is a betrayal of the values ??of Macronism. The dilemma arises of the cost of carrying out a law thanks to Le Pen’s votes. Several ministers are clear about this and have even threatened to resign if he leaves.
The Elysée has called an emergency meeting this afternoon to try to unblock the debate. The text, which has already been validated by the Senate, is voted on tonight in the Assembly. Whether approved or not, it exposes the challenge that Macron faces in the remainder of his mandate, until 2027: not only is it increasingly difficult for him to approve his reforms, but there are beginning to be fissures within his camp, since the The left wing criticizes the right-wing nature of politics, which has given in to these pressures, and denounces that the values ??of Macronism are being blurred, which was sold as a current “neither on the left nor on the right.”
The Government had presented a balanced initial project, which sought to “control immigration and improve integration” and which tried to please the left and the right. However, the final text that will be voted on this Tuesday has shifted to the right, which has been shaping it, taking advantage of its position of strength in the Senate. He also has a majority in the Joint Joint Commission, a group created last week to unblock the law and which has agreed with the Government on the final draft.
Made up of 14 senators and deputies, they have discussed the fringes of the norm for a week. Marine Le Pen’s party has claimed an “ideological victory” for the text. And that without having starred in the debate, since it has been the Republicans who have marked the red lines. Le Pen emerges as the winner of this crisis. Immigration is one of the most recurring issues of the extreme right that she leads and that she aspires to win in the European elections that will be held in a few months.
“There will be no text if a parliamentary majority is not achieved without National Regrouping,” said Darmanin in his speech in the Assembly, already around ten at night.
This law is one of the most important of Macron’s second term, after the pension law, which was approved last spring by decree (due to the lack of a parliamentary majority), with much controversy and with a large part of the country against it. Unlike then, the immigration bill is supported by a majority of French people.
The idea of ??the text was to facilitate the expulsions of foreigners who have committed crimes but, at the same time, facilitate the integration of those who contribute to society. The right wanted a dissuasive text for foreigners who want to settle in France, making the country “less attractive.” This is the objective of many of the points contained in the law. Foreigners will have to spend more time in French territory to be able to access social aid and state medical aid, the device from which undocumented people benefited, will be reformed.
The conditions for those who come to work and even to study are also complicated. The latter will have to justify their objectives and deposit a type of deposit, which will be returned to them when they leave the country, upon completing their training. Registration fees for them are increased.
The article that allowed undocumented workers to be regularized in sectors where there is a lack of labor has been weakened. Now it will not be automatic, but will depend on the prefects and will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.
The law makes it even more difficult to be French: Children of foreigners born in the country will no longer have automatic nationality. They will have to request it voluntarily between the ages of 16 and 18. Arriving without papers in France is once again a crime and nationality may be withdrawn from binationals who have committed a crime against a gendarme or police officer. To request nationality you will have to wait longer (10 years instead of five) and establishes multi-year quotas in the Assembly.
