In his first television interview, the Prime Minister had placed among his priorities the “control of migratory flows”. A way of responding to the concerns of the voters of the National Rally.
Is Nicolas Sarkozy’s shadow hanging over the composition of the government? A few days after Michel Barnier’s appointment to Matignon, the new Prime Minister continues to find his bearings. After his trip to Necker Hospital on Saturday, and his arrival the next day at the Stade de France for the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games alongside Emmanuel Macron, he is now at work putting together his team. And determining the scope of his future ministers. While the former chief Brexit negotiator promised on TF1 on Friday evening to make “control of migration flows” one of its priorities thanks to “concrete measures”FranceInfo echoed this Monday a “reflection in progress” to create a Ministry of Immigration.
A reference to Nicolas Sarkozy, former right-wing President of the Republic, who launched a large ministry for “Immigration, Integration, and National Identity”, occupied by Brice Hortefeux then Éric Besson between 2007 and 2010. Although the idea is tempting in the context of a return of the Republicans to power, Matignon is seriously temporizing. Gabriel Attal’s successor “is wary of announcements and wants to treat the subject of immigration seriously”replies a councilor from rue de Varenne. “On the method, as on the contours of this policy very important for the French”Michel Barnier “think about the most effective ways to achieve results”we are told from the same source.
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If the Prime Minister gives himself time to form his government, the idea would not be illogical given the proposals that Jacques Chirac’s former minister formulated at the end of 2021, during the campaign for the Republican primary. There, he defended a “moratorium” on immigration and the tightening of family reunification criteria. Three years later, in a very different political equation, Michel Barnier could also want to hear the concerns of the 11 million voters of the National Rally in the legislative elections. A way to avoid or postpone as much as possible the vote of censure by the nationalist deputies, whose leader Marine Le Pen did not reject her designation to Emmanuel Macron. The former presidential candidate also argued in The Sunday Tribune that Michel Barnier “seemed” to have “the same observation” than the RN on immigration.
“It’s starting strong”
What is needed to convince the party with the flame? Its president Jordan Bardella simply estimated that the French are waiting “actions” rather than «mots». And to hammer home: “The Ministry of Immigration already exists and is called the Ministry of the Interior.” This hypothesis is certainly very uncertain, it has aroused the indignation of a part of the left. “There is no doubt that this is the humanist shift expected by the French people mobilized during the Republican Front”joked about X the leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure.
Former rebel MP Clémentine Autain considered that such a project would have revealed the “dividends paid to the RN” by Michel Barnier. A way of echoing the RN’s promise not to censor the new government immediately. Same anger on the left wing of the presidential camp: “It’s starting strong! Is it a priority at the moment and in the context? If so, it’s a great idea to bring together… the far right!”mocked the related Renaissance MP Stella Dupont.
