The new Minister of the Interior gave an interview on LCI on Sunday, September 29, where he made a number of comments and proposals belonging to the vocabulary of the extreme right.
A festival of far-right rhetoric. The new Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau gave an interview on LCI on Sunday, September 29, expressing pell-mell his «regret» that we cannot hold a referendum on immigration in France, his wish to see double punishment completely reestablished or even his reservations concerning a “multicultural society”likely according to him to shift towards a “multi-racist society”.
“We cannot do in France […] unfortunately for constitutional reasons […] referendum on immigration. I regret it”said Bruno Retailleau in particular. Asked about his personal wish for such a referendum, he replied: “yes, a thousand times yes”, noting that “it would first be necessary to revise the Constitution” pour “allow an extension of the perimeter, the field on which we can consult by referendum”.
Interviewed from his office, Place Beauvau, Bruno Retailleau justified this desire for a referendum by the fact that “Immigration is one of the phenomena that has most disrupted French society for 50 years, for half a century, without the French having ever had to express their opinion”. Judging that “immigration is not an opportunity”the minister estimated that“there will only be control of immigration if we have an overall plan”.
Double the maximum duration in detention centers
Pointing “a thicket of legal rules”he said he was ready to use “all the levers”while saying to himself “respectful” of Prime Minister Michel Barnier who must make his general policy declaration on Tuesdayt “will announce a certain number of measures”. The Minister of the Interior notably cited the possibility of extending the maximum duration of detention for people subject to an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF). “We can extend it by a lot, by doubling” at 180 days, he ruled, but “it’s not enough”.
He also cited the subject of expulsions, saying that“we must assume a balance of power” to return people to their country of origin, citing “three levers” : the granting of visas, development aid and trade. Asked whether he was in favor of double punishment, that is to say systematic expulsion after the sentence has been served, he also said “Of course” favorable.
Questioned about previous comments in which he judged that a “multicultural society” was a «impasse» et “conflictual”the new minister LR replied: “I still think so”. “I think that a multicultural society carries risks of also becoming a multiracist society. I weigh my words.” “There is the Anglo-Saxon model and the French model. Either you have an Anglo-Saxon society where you juxtapose communities, and at a given moment there are violent shocks, or you have our model, the republican model. The French project is the overcoming of origins […] Public space is the Republic and you must distance yourself from what concerns your private affairs. It is this symbolic distance that makes it possible to realize the Republican promise.added the Minister of the Interior.
Marion Maréchal applauds
“Our culture is Judeo-Christian. The French crucible takes place in Jerusalem, it takes place in Athens, it takes place in Rome. It is a unique civilization, which is also European and the worst thing for me is to see this bad European conscience when Europe is the symbol of freedom. […] How do you want to integrate young people who doubt, by telling them that France is not friendly, that it is guilty of all crimes?he continued.
Bruno Retailleau’s interview sparked numerous reactions on X. Prisca Thévenot (Renaissance), the former government spokesperson felt that we could “talk about immigration without denigrating the French who come from it”. “Our language makes it possible to differentiate between illegal and legal immigration. The first is to fight, the second to control. Not making the distinction sets the stage for the RN”she castigated. “What would be the difference with an RN Minister of the Interior?”asked the leader of PS deputies Boris Vallaud.
Far-right MEP Marion Maréchal, on the other hand, welcomed comments “rejoicing”. “Double penalty, agreements with Algeria, multicultural society: difficult to disagree with the words of Bruno Retailleau this evening”she judged.
