France: no majority for immigration reform
The French National Assembly has rejected a bill on immigration policy with which the government aimed to restrict irregular immigration while improving integration. The left-wing opposition as well as conservatives and right-wing populists voted against the draft law. Commentators discuss what this defeat means for President Macron and his government.
Macron at a dead end
The taz’s France correspondent, Rudolf Balmer, sees the government’s authority called into question:
“Because it has been clearly demonstrated that it does not have a majority in the National Assembly. President Emmanuel Macron must take the blame for the mess the government now faces. Like in Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, the citizens, who had perhaps allowed themselves to be dazzled until now, are discovering that their vain ruler is in fact naked. With a minority government that is unable to find allies, Macron is incapable of action. ... He has reached a political dead end.”
His last trump card: public opinion
Macron is losing control but he still has options, observes Le Monde:
“In his weakened state, the president is still not entirely powerless. He can try to engage in a battle for public opinion, drawing on the expectations of the French people in order to end the political games. Unlike the pension bill, the immigration bill would garner strong support, according to the polls. This is the only trump card he still has in his hand.”
In a quandary
Le Figaro looks at what comes next:
“In the absence of a majority, the government may decide to withdraw its bill. But if it persists, it will be hard to avoid having recourse to Article 49.3 [bypassing a parliamentary vote]. After the crushing defeat it has just suffered, that would be daring to say the least. ... If the government were prepared to draw up a new text that takes into account the demands by LR [Les Republicains] and RN [Rassemblement National] for a tougher stance, it would risk losing some of its left-wing votes. But if it proposes a text that is just as lenient as the current draft, it could be rejected again.”
A sharper profile needed
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung makes the case for a much stricter immigration policy:
“Citizens expect the government to take action. ... But it is proving incapable of acting. No wonder many are losing confidence and turning to those who take clearer positions. When it comes to immigration, these are the conservative parties, but even more clearly the Rassemblement National, which is already the largest opposition party. If Emmanuel Macron doesn’t want to go down in history as stooge for a future president Marine Le Pen, he and his fellow campaigners will have to sharpen their profile on key issues.”
