While the right has put forward its proposals on immigration, the government is trying to regain control of the discussions to obtain a compromise with LR.
The government is trying to move forward on its immigration law. A week ago, Les Républicains, essential partners to have the text adopted, had set their conditions: a constitutional revision and the release of certain European and international texts, in particular. The executive in turn sets its red lines. And the first is: no exit from the European treaties, as demanded by the right. “It’s not because we leave Europe that we have fewer immigrants. Look at Great Britain!”, we argue around Gérald Darmanin.
>> Immigration: we compared the proposals of the Republicans with those of the National Rally
Second red line, the “short-term occupations” residence permit. The right refuses it en bloc, but the left wing of the majority makes it a totem. “We are ready for an acceptable compromise”, we assure the Ministry of the Interior. The measure provides for a residence permit for those who exercise a job in tension provided they have been in the territory for three years. “If the LRs want five years, why not? If they want a minimum wage for these people? Why not?”, we explain around Gérald Darmanin.
Formal discussions scheduled for mid-June
All the rest of the text is negotiable. “For the moment, we were playing tennis alone, there, the ball is returned to us”, are we satisfied. Unaccompanied minors, conditioning of visas, even reform of state medical aid… At the Ministry of the Interior, we claim to have seen very interesting things in the proposals of the right. It is in any case the price to pay to hope to have a majority.
For the moment, the Republicans remain on their positions. “It’s up to the president to get out of ‘at the same time'”claims the boss of the party Éric Ciotti. “Let the debate be decided by the people”asks the leader of senators LR Bruno Retailleau, even if, behind the scenes, a party leader has entrusted us in recent days with betting that the exit from certain international and European rules would not be a sine qua non for negotiations. “It’s a way for the right to have an argument for the next presidential election”we decipher at the top of the executive.
The right, for the moment, has not formally started discussions. It should be mid-June. But, far from the LR-government exchanges on the pension reform, Gérald Darmanin wants this time to receive representatives of the right, but also of all the components of the majority, a sort of conclave to reach a consensus by the end of June, without white smoke. LR is warned, they say place Beauvau. “The question is: is LR still a government party or a thought club that stays in its corner?”a way for the executive to shift the pressure from his shoulders to those on the right.