France: Parliament Adopts Controversial Immigration Law

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Facts

• The French parliament adopted a controversial new immigration bill backed by President Emmanuel Macron by a large majority late on Tuesday, despite major opposition in his party due to the law's support from the far right. The law previously passed the upper-house Senate. ¹
• The tightened immigration bill passed the National Assembly, the lower house, with the votes of the ruling centrist coalition and the conservatives, with 349 in favor and 186 against, meaning that it did not need the support of Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) to pass through.²
• Key left-wing members of Macron's Renaissance party and allied factions rejected the amended bill and accused Macron of giving in to pressure from the far right. Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau offered his resignation, while the Socialist leader in the National Assembly, Boris Vallaud, condemned the law as a "great moment of dishonor for the government". ³
• A central component of the bill stipulates that certain social security benefits for foreigners should be made contingent on a five-year stay in France or 30 months for those in employment while also introducing migration quotas, among other measures. The government argues that the bill also contains liberal elements, such as the legalization of undocumented workers in sectors with labor shortages.⁴
• While the French government rejected objections to the amended bill, arguing that the lack of stricter immigration rules had boosted the far-right, RN leader Marine Le Pen described the vote as a "great ideological victory for our movement." According to the far-right, French citizens should have preferential or even exclusive access to state subsidies and other benefits. ⁵
• The vote came after the original draft legislation was rejected by members of the far left and far right in the lower house last week. To save the bill, the government, which no longer has a parliamentary majority, held intensive talks with the right-wing opposition, with Macron calling for an "intelligent compromise" to protect "the general interest". ⁶

Sources: ¹France 24 (a), ²France 24 (b), ³Le Monde.fr, ⁴Guardian, ⁵New York Times, and ⁶France 24 (c).

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Le Monde.fr. The amended bill is the most regressive immigration reform in 40 years and a slap in the face for migrants who have been living in France for decades. The bill could only be pushed through without the support of the far right because the governing coalition bowed to their key demands to save Macron's flagship project. With this discriminatory law, Macron is betraying France's liberal values, while Le Pen enjoys a major victory. Macron came into office promising to keep the radical right in check, but rather than weakening Le Pen, he is paving the way for her and maneuvering France into a new political crisis.
• Narrative B, as provided by Financial Times. The law is a balanced compromise with which the Macron government proved its ability to act in a difficult situation. What weakens the radical right the most is a government that faces up to present-day challenges and does not hesitate to take necessary measures in France's national interest. All the critics of the bill seem to ignore the fact that the government is the democratic representation of the people and that the French have spoken out in favor of tightening immigration laws. For Macron's government, the focus is on solutions, not on Le Pen's tactical maneuvers.
• Nerd narrative, as provided by Metaculus. The law is a balanced compromise with which the Macron government proved its ability to act in a difficult situation. What weakens the radical right the most is a government that faces up to present-day challenges and does not hesitate to take necessary measures in France's national interest. All the critics of the bill seem to ignore the fact that the government is the democratic representation of the people and that the French have spoken out in favor of tightening immigration laws. For Macron's government, the focus is on solutions, not on Le Pen's tactical maneuvers.