France divided over immigration reform
Last week the French National Assembly rejected a bill with which the government aimed to restrict irregular immigration and improve integration. The bill is now being discussed in a joint committee of MPs and senators. The Macron camp is seeking the votes of the conservative Les Républicains who, however, insist on restrictions to social benefits for foreigners.
Those who pay in should receive child benefit
Restricting social benefits for foreigners would be a fatal faux pas, Libération warns:
“Does Macronism still have any values? ... What a deplorable slip it would be to require foreigners living legally in France to be present in the country for several years before they are entitled to child benefits, even though they pay into our social system from their first day of work and pay VAT on every purchase. ... If Macronism, at the expense of the principle of universality, adopts the logic of 'first us, then them', which has less to do with patriotism than with xenophobia, it would be a terrible shift towards the far right.”
Counter the doomsday narrative!
Catholic clergy and volunteers call for a change of perspective in attitudes to immigration:
“The question of the conditions for taking in migrants and the resources made available for this is central from a moral point of view. It would be a sign of political greatness to put it back on the agenda. This would require breaking with the doomsday fantasy that increasingly surround the issue of immigration in our country. It would mean countering the narrative of a clash of cultures with that of a meeting of cultures, countering the equation of Islam with jihadism, and rejecting the instrumentalisation of secularism for anti-religious purposes.”
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.”