French President Emmanuel Macron faced cracks within his ruling alliance this Wednesday, December 20, when Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau presented his resignation. The resignation came in protest of the controversial immigration law that the far right, led by former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, hailed as an “ideological victory” for its political wing.
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France's immigration bill, a compromise between President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party and the conservative opposition, illustrates a rightward shift in politics in much of Europe. All at a time when governments are trying to stop the rise of the extreme right, with tougher measures against immigration.
But the approval of the controversial project in the French Parliament, on Tuesday, December 19, also showed the difficulties that Macron faces when governing without a parliamentary majority, which he lost in the June 2022 elections after winning a second presidential term.
The Minister of Health, Aurelien Rousseau, assured the newspaper 'Le Monde' that he decided to resign in protest against the new regulations that were approved in both Chambers of the Legislature and now only have to be promulgated by the head of State for their entry into force.
“It is not possible for me to defend this text”
After confirming the resignation of the head of the Health portfolio, the Government spokesman, Olivier Veran, assured that Rousseau did not attend a cabinet meeting this Wednesday morning and that he would be temporarily replaced by Minister Agnes Firmin Le Bodo.
Asked about the turmoil in the cabinet, Véran pointed out that “there is no ministerial revolt.”
However, Rousseau, quoted by 'Le Monde', said: “It is not possible for me to defend this text,” thereby confirming his forceful rejection of the measure.
What changes with the new immigration law in France?
The new regulations facilitate the expulsion of immigrants in an irregular situation, while diluting plans to relax restrictions on residence permits for workers in labor-deprived sectors.
Likewise, controversial new rules – including immigration quotas, which make it difficult for children of immigrants to become French citizens and delay immigrants' access to social benefits – were added to the bill to win support from lawmakers. of the right in order to approve it.
The approved bill is questioned for its stricter provisions, which also reduce social assistance benefits for foreigners.
Divisions within the Government
The new guidelines caused unease among lawmakers on the left wing of Macron's caucus, as dozens abstained or approved in Tuesday's vote. In addition, the local press highlights that more resignations of ministers are expected in response to the new regulations.
Breton legislator Jean-Charles Larsonneur told 'France Bleu' radio that he was leaving the centrist group Horizons, part of the president's alliance, after pointing out that the law violated “republican values.”
“I think that, unfortunately, the majority are destroyed,” he remarked.
Even the president of the Lower House of Parliament, Yaël Braun-Pivet, who voted in favor of the bill, told 'BFM TV' that she was “terribly upset” by some of its content, in particular for delaying access. to social benefits for immigrants with children.
Those considered political rebels in Macron's party could further weaken his control in the Legislature and complicate the rest of his five-year term.
A boost for the far right?
Just six months before the European Parliament elections, in which immigration will be a key issue, the adoption of the bill in France could also boost two-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who called the amended bill “a great ideological victory” for his far-right party.
However, in statements to the 'France Inter' radio station, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne indicated that the bill responds to the concerns of the French people about security and immigration, while rejecting talk of a crisis inside. of the government.
“We have done our job, we wanted a text with useful measures that our citizens were asking for (…) Now let's move forward,” Borne said.
The premier also stated that the Government will ask the Constitutional Council to review the adopted bill. This opens the door for the council to repeal some of the stricter measures if it deems them unconstitutional.
Macron won both of his presidential terms, in the 2017 and 2022 elections, after voters rallied behind him to prevent Le Pen from winning. Left-wing MPs said the amended migration bill is a betrayal of promises made to defend against right-wing ideas.
According to the INSEE statistics office, the proportion of immigrants in the French population has grown steadily over the decades.
The number of immigrants in France was 5% in 1946, it reached 7.4% in 1975 and 8.5% in 2010. And until recently it reached more than 10% of the population, 2.5 million people, in 2022. About a third have become French citizens.
Other governments across Europe have also opted for stricter immigration policies. In fact, this Wednesday, December 20, the European Union (EU) reached an agreement to reform its migration and asylum rules to try to limit the number of new immigrants.
With Reuters
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