The president of the MoDem François Bayrou estimated Sunday that the request of the head of LR Eric Ciotti to meet Emmanuel Macron on the subject of immigration was “legitimate”.
“The President of the Republicans asks to be received by the President of the Republic to discuss, it is legitimate”, declared Mr. Bayrou to Europe 1-Les Echos-Cnews. Mr. Ciotti “solemnly” asked Emmanuel Macron on Saturday for this meeting, so as not to be “bobbined into yet another lukewarm scenario”.
The Republicans have tabled two very hard-line immigration bills against a government that hopes for a compromise around its future bill. In particular, they provide for the possibility of derogating from the primacy of the treaties and of European law.
But according to Mr. Bayrou, “that will not happen, because without that, the others will come out of the European treaties to our detriment”.
However, the LR proposals are “not demagoguery”, considers Emmanuel Macron’s ally. “Republicans, socialists are trying hard to find a way,” he said.
Asked further about former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s proposal to call into question the 1968 agreement with Algeria, Mr. Bayrou replied that “the idea that we focus on Algeria all the problems that we have is an idea to discuss”.
The 1968 agreement organizes the entry, stay and employment of Algerians in France, according to rules derogating from common law. On certain points, the Algerians are favored compared to other foreigners (in particular as regards family reunification), on others they are losers (in particular for the students).
However, “there are Algerian officials who think that these agreements are not good”, pointed out Mr. Bayrou. The centrist leader therefore calls for “resuming all of our relations with Algeria, with Morocco too” and “with African countries”.
“What we have not defined today is the ‘fixing migration’ framework which is allowed to come and the obligations” to be fulfilled, he underlined.
06/11/2023 11:57:02 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP