The first proposal is constitutional: it aims to “allow a referendum to be held on migration policy”, defends Bruno Retailleau to the “Journal du Dimanche”.
In their eyes, “we must regain control”. In The Sunday Journal (subscriber edition), Sunday May 21, the leaders of the Les Républicains party unveil two offensive bills in terms of migration policy. Boasting “a breakthrough project, both daring and serious”the number 1 of the party, Eric Ciotti, pleads in unison “to put a stop” to what he considers to be a “‘mass immigration’in a joint interview with the presidents of the LR groups in the National Assembly and the Senate, Olivier Marleix and Bruno Retailleau.
After showing internal divisions on pension reform, LR wants to regain control of one of their markers, immigration, by filing “this week” two bills on the subject, while the executive goes from one reversal to another on its intentions in the matter.
The first LR proposal is of a constitutional nature: it aims to “allow a referendum to be held on migration policy”when, today, “the referendum can only concern the organization of public powers and economic, social and environmental reforms”, defends Bruno Retailleau. In this same text, LR intends to include in the Constitution “the possibility of derogating from the primacy of treaties and European law (…) when ‘the fundamental interests of the Nation’ are at stake”, considering that immigration falls into this box. LR also hears “elevate the principle of assimilation to constitutional rank”.
Restore the offense for clandestine stay
The other proposal, an ordinary law, aims in particular to “to affirm that one does not enter France by breaking and entering by restoring the offense of illegal residence”, abolished in 2012 under François Hollande. The text also aims to engage “a standoff with countries that do not agree to give consular passes to recover their nationals, both in terms of visas and in terms of development aid”explains Bruno Retailleau.
In case the government “tried to pass 49.3 lax text” in the eyes of LR, Olivier Marleix threatens on his side to “table a motion of censure”, a border that LR has not yet crossed. LR considers in particular that the creation of a new residence permit for shortage occupations, as envisaged by the government, is not “non-negotiable”.