French health minister resigns over controversial immigration law
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Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau resigned over the passing of tough new immigration legislation in France, backed by the far right.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – France’s health minister resigned as the government of President Emmanuel Macron on Dec 20 sought to quell a party revolt over the passing of tough new immigration legislation
Following 18 months of wrangling over one of the flagship reforms of Mr Macron’s second term, both chambers of Parliament backed the controversial legislation on Dec 19, with Ms Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) endorsing the Bill in a move some media outlets dubbed a “kiss of death”.
About a quarter of the 251 lawmakers in Mr Macron’s camp voted against the Bill or abstained, and several left-wing ministers have registered their opposition to the Bill.
Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau resigned, although there were no immediate signs of other ministers following suit, despite fears overnight.
Mr Rousseau did not attend a Cabinet meeting on Dec 20 morning and would be replaced on a temporary basis by junior minister Agnes Firmin-Le Bodo, government spokesman Olivier Veran said.
“There is no ministerial revolt,” he added.
Mr Macron was expected to address the reform in a television interview on Dec 20 evening, while Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne sought to put on a brave face, saying the adoption of the law had not provoked a “crisis in the majority”.
Speaking on radio channel France Inter, Ms Borne admitted that some of the provisions were probably unconstitutional, adding that the text “would have to evolve” once it had been examined by the Constitutional Council after referral by Mr Macron.
“We wanted to pass a law on useful, effective measures that our fellow citizens expect, with two objectives: to remove more quickly and more effectively those who have no right to be in France, and to better integrate those we choose to welcome,” she said.
At the Cabinet meeting on Dec 20, Mr Macron declared that there are in the text “things that I don’t like but which are not against our values”, a participant, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
‘Deep scars’
The text of the Bill had to be hardened under pressure from the right, but Ms Borne stressed that in the end the ruling party did not need the support of Ms Le Pen’s far-right RN to push the Bill through.
Beating Ms Le Pen to secure five more years in 2022, Mr Macron has vowed to stave off her rise, but has been accused of pandering to the far right to push through his reform agenda.
“The immigration law will leave deep scars,” said French right-wing daily Le Figaro, adding that Mr Macron “had lost on all fronts”.
Liberation, the left-wing newspaper, for its part spoke of a “moral defeat” for his party.
Ms Marine Le Pen’s National Rally endorsed the Bill, in a move some media outlets dubbed a “kiss of death” for Mr Macron.
PHOTO: AFP
France has a long tradition of welcoming refugees and immigrants, but a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a chronic affordable-housing shortage and a cost-of-living crisis have worsened social tensions in the country.
Dozens of non-governmental organisations have slammed what they described as potentially the “most regressive” immigration law in decades.
A key element of the law is that social security benefits for foreigners will now be conditioned on five years of presence in France, or 30 months for those who have jobs.
Migration quotas can also now be agreed and there are measures for stripping dual-national convicts of French nationality.
‘Disgusting victory’
“It’s a total victory for the ideas defended by Marine Le Pen,” said far-right lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy.
Mr Eric Ciotti, head of the conservative Republicans party, hailed the adoption of the law as a “historic victory for the right”.
The left-wing opposition slammed the measures.
The head of the Socialist deputies in the assembly, Mr Boris Vallaud, accused the government of “giving in to the most rancid ideas”.
Radical left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon denounced a “disgusting victory”.
Left-wing coalition MPs holding signs in French that read “liberty, equality, fraternity” – the national motto of France – following the vote.
PHOTO: AFP
A hot-button issue in France, as elsewhere in Europe, immigration regularly inflames the political class.
On Dec 20, European Union countries and lawmakers reached an agreement on an overhaul of the bloc’s laws on handling asylum seekers and migrants, officials said.
The issue has taken on a harder political edge in Europe in recent years with the rise of nationalist anti-immigrant parties in several EU countries, including Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands. AFP
