Those who come from the other side of the Mediterranean” are “a chance to make France bigger”, Emmanuel Macron launched Monday before the Forum of Mediterranean Worlds in Marseille, denouncing those who “cast doubt” on the French “from elsewhere”.
During a videoconference speech before the Forum, which he initiated, the Head of State defended “the plural wealth” of the French coming from the diasporas “from the Levant, the Maghreb, Southern Europe”then criticizing, without naming him, the far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour.
“For too many years, we have so often in our speeches, as if casting doubt, as if coming from elsewhere it was necessary to cut off part of this identity to be truly French”, he regretted.
Cast doubt, including in contemporary public debate
“so many of us, because they have origins, sometimes even first names it is said (…) should forget the richness of their family, their culture, sometimes the links that exist with each other side. I believe quite the opposite”, he declared the President of the Republic, while Mr. Zemmour wants to impose on children to be born in France to wear “French first names”.
“I expect all our compatriots to be totally French and European, to respect all the rules of the Republic, to love their country, but I want to say to all the children of the Republic, whatever their history, that when they come from this other shore, they have great things to bring to France and that it is a chance, that of making France bigger”.
“Our diasporas, our dual nationals are a tremendous opportunity for France and we must help them to succeed, including on the other side of the Mediterranean“he insisted, announcing a fund of 100 million euros for entrepreneurs living in France who want to invest in the Maghreb.
He also wanted to “facilitate the circulation of those who contribute to our economic, cultural and scientific exchanges”, within the framework of cooperation between States to “effectively regulate migration”. This possibility of easier movement, which he did not detail, will be on the agenda of the EU-African Union summit scheduled for February 17 and 18 in Brussels, he promised. Last fall, the French government announced a reduction in the number of visas granted to the Maghreb country which, according to Paris, does not do enough to accommodate their nationals expelled from France.
This forum will also be an opportunity to discuss solutions for the environment. “The Mediterranean region is warming up 20% faster than the rest of the world,” recalled the mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan. The elected socialist mobilized 24 mayors “from Tangier to Beirut” to ask governments for stricter standards in terms of polluting emissions to create “the largest maritime area in the world” regulated. (with AFP)
Karim Amellal and the Mediterranean press
On the occasion of this forum, which intends to bring together the actors of civil society in the Mediterranean, Radio France and COPEAM proposed a meeting with the Mediterranean press which during an online exchange Mezzé #2had as a great guest Karim Amellal who is the interministerial delegate ambassador to the Mediterranean for France.