Parliamentarians from Nupes and the presidential camp have met several times in recent months to try to find common ground on this text, which will finally be examined in the fall in Parliament.
“But, what tells you that we don’t discuss with the left?” Seated at the Bourbon, this restaurant near the National Assembly popular with deputies, this elected representative of the majority will say no more. However, it is in the basement of this brasserie in the 7th arrondissement of Paris that parliamentarians from Nupes and the presidential camp meet to discuss, away from prying eyes and ears, the bill on immigration.
After many adventures, Gérald Darmanin announced on June 23 at the Figaro that the government would not present a new text, as it had been a while. Parliamentary discussion in the Senate and then in the Assembly should therefore continue in the fall on the basis of the existing bill. Meanwhile, negotiations between Les Républicains and the government are continuing, under the aegis of the Minister of the Interior. Without success so far.
The left has so far remained discreet on this subject. “The right and the government had the same interest, that of diverting the subject of pensions, justifies Cyrielle Chatelain, the patron saint of environmental deputies. We will speak on the immigration bill when it is time to do so.” But behind the scenes, discussions do take place.
Several Nupes parliamentarians have indeed agreed to discuss with representatives of the majority. Three meetings have been held since February. With, on the Nupes side: Boris Vallaud (PS), Hervé Saulignac (PS), Julien Bayou (EELV), Fabien Roussel (PCF), Andy Kerbrat (LFI) and François Ruffin (LFI). And on the other side of the table: Sacha Houlié (Renaissance), Ludovic Mendès (Renaissance), Stella Dupont (related Renaissance) and Maud Gatel (MoDem). Several socialist and ecologist senators also took part in these exchanges.
“We don’t get lost in the postures”
But these interviews would never have been possible without the help of two personalities from civil society who had the idea of bringing together these elected officials from different sides: Pascal Brice, president of the Federation of Solidarity Actors and former director from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Ofpra), and Marilyne Poulain, former CGT referent on the subject of migrant workers. “The left must also have its role to play in this legislative construction”she believes, worried that the discussions are held only with LR. “The origin of these discussions was: ‘Can a majority of parliamentarians do useful work on these issues during the discussion that opens?'”explains Pascal Brice.
“We thought the issue was serious and sensitive enough for the parties to come out of their trenches.”
Pascal Brice, former director of the Ofpraat franceinfo
“It wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t been there”, recognizes the socialist Hervé Saulignac. At the beginning “a little dubious”the Ardèche deputy salutes “a real flexibility in the discussion”. “There is an awareness of the gravity of the situation and we do not get lost in the postures”, he adds. “We get to talk to each other”abounds the rebellious Andy Kerbrat, who wonders: “The problem of the majority is to position themselves politically: do they want to be with LR or do they also want to find majorities with the left?” On the side of the deputies of the majority, we assume the fact of “reaching out to the left in this informal round table”said one participant.
The entourage of Gérald Darmanin, contacted by franceinfo, refuses to comment on these talks, while explaining that “negotiations are ongoing”. “We have to be mean to the mean and nice to the good”, had dropped the Minister of the Interior in November in a formula supposed to summarize the philosophy of the bill. The text provides in particular for a temporary residence permit for trades in tension, but also the facilitation of the expulsion of delinquent foreigners. Unsurprisingly, the “firmness” component of the government is rejected by the left. “We have to change our approach. The question is the organization of the reception, pleads the ecologist Julien Bayou. We must assume a humanist discourse.”
“It’s necessary that it moves”
In the majority, we are well aware that certain positions will be impossible to reconcile. “Our colleagues on the left have more difficulty on the return of authority and the component on expulsions”, loose an elected official. In fact, the parliamentarians of Nupes will not vote for the government’s text and refuse, as with LR, the “at the same time” of the majority. “It’s not working and we have no intention of making it work”slips Hervé Saulignac. “We are not dealing with Darmanin and we will not be among those who will allow the government to pass a disgusting law”slice another elected Nupes. “We have to push them to choose, the ‘at the same time’ is too easy”, judge Cyrielle Chatelain. Many anticipate, moreover, that the government will not go through with its reform.
“My prognosis is that in the end there will be nothing at all on the government table.”
A member of the Nupesat franceinfo
He’s staying “common ground”however, believes an elected official of the majority about the regularizations by work. Andy Kerbrat nods. “There is a need to work on the issue of regularizations. It is on this subject that we are trying to have a discussion with the majority.” Concretely, if the negotiations were to succeed, this could give rise to the filing of a specific text co-signed by parliamentarians from the left and the majority. “All those who were around the table are ready to think about the principle of a common bill”confirms a participant.
But some on the left remain cautious about the positioning of the presidential camp, because the macronists present around the table are supporters of the left wing. “Those who come to negotiate are not representatives of the majority”also decides a parliamentarian from Nupes who does not participate in the discussions. “Sacha Houlie [président de la commission des lois] has an institutional position but it has no troops.” The elected officials of Nupes also ensure that they have no contact with Olivier Dussopt, the Minister of Labor, also in charge of the bill with Gérald Darmanin, in particular on the question of jobs in tension. Contacted, his cabinet did not wish to react.
“The ball is in the court of part of the majority who must make proposals on which we can come together”, assures the socialist Hervé Saulignac. On the side of the two matchmakers from civil society, we assure that we will judge on the results. “Everything is open, they discuss the content and the form, it’s up to them to decide”assures Pascal Brice. “It’s necessary that it moves”rebounds an elected official of the majority. “We will do everything to achieve this.he adds. To draw 49.3 on this topic would be bullshit.”