First “crash-test” to come for the left wing of the presidential majority with the proposal of Sacha Houlié, co-founder of Young People with Macron, on the right to vote for foreigners, freshly welcomed in his camp. For the former PS minister Francois Rebsamenstrong support from Emmanuel Macron, this is “a perfect opportunity to show that the National Assembly can vote on left-wing texts that strengthen the Republic”.
“I’m not going to hide from you that it wasn’t a good surprise”released, Wednesday on France info, the deputy Sylvain Maillard, vice-president of the Renaissance group (ex-LREM), questioned on the initiative of his colleague all new president of the Commission of the Laws.
Member of the left wing of the presidential movement, Mr. Houlié, also co-founder of Young People with Macron, tabled a constitutional bill in early August aimed at granting non-EU foreigners the right to vote in municipal elections. “Personally”it is specified in the explanatory memorandum.
Ce “old sea serpent from the left”according to the unanimous expression, which resulted neither under François Mitterrand, nor under François Hollande, is without surprise rejected on the right, and supported by the opposition of left, all confused tendencies within Nupes.
See also: Bill for the right to vote for foreigners: the divided political class
At Renaissance, if there is “no taboo subject”this is the method that would get stuck. “It disturbs the system for nothing”judge Mr. Maillard for whom “it is important that we have a debate”that“internally, we can clarify our position on various subjects”.
The president of the group, Aurore Bergé, said in Le Parisien that she would like to launch a working group on immigration. But for the moment, within the majority, the reactions are diverse.
According to those around him, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin is there. “firmly opposed”. Secretary of State MoDem Sarah El Haïry is not there, “on a very personal basis, not favorable”.
“In my opinion, the debate should rather be around citizenship”, estimates in Le Figaro the deputy Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, spokesperson for the Renaissance group. The same argument as Emmanuel Macron when he was questioned on the subject during the “big debate”, in February 2019.
“A perfect opportunity to show that the National Assembly can vote on left-wing texts”
The only support supported in the camp of the president, the former PS minister François Rebsamen committed a platform in the JDD to recall the existence of a text adopted in 2011 in the Senate, then dominated by the left. A valid vote of this text which lies dormant in the Assembly would open the way to a referendum. And would be “a perfect opportunity to show that the National Assembly can vote on left-wing texts that strengthen the Republic”hopes Mr. Rebsamen.
With Elisabeth Borne, Emmanuel Macron has for the first time appointed a Prime Minister from this side of the majority, the scene remains largely dominated by defectors from the right Bruno Le Maire and Gérald Darmanin.
However, historically, the camp of the so-called republican right to which the two political personalities belong, is not necessarily hostile to the right to vote for foreigners. Before showing himself hostile to it, Jacques Chirac was himself one of its promoters: I am in favor of the right to vote for immigrants in municipal elections “, he declared in Brussels, on October 14, 1979, in front of the association of French-speaking mayors, recalls France info. The same goes for Nicolas Sarkozy, whose positions on the question have constantly changed over the years: against in 1997, then for in 2001 in a book, he will reaffirm this position in 2005 in an interview granted to the newspaper Le Monde, before declaring its opposition to this measure against its presidential competitor, François Hollande, in favor of this bill.
In this context, why this personal initiative by Sacha Houlie? “No doubt the desire to recall the existence of a more humanist line within the majority”estimates a parliamentary source, who underlines that “Houlié had already stood out during the Joint Joint Commission for the health bill. Everyone takes a position”.
The reintegration of non-vaccinated caregivers is “in no way desirable”, according to @SachaHoulie (Renaissance). “It is legitimate to demand that those who are responsible for our health protect themselves.”#DirectAN #Covid19 pic.twitter.com/rpbgguZuji
— LCP (@LCP) July 11, 2022
This initiative on foreigners’ right to vote, “it’s a bit like the crash test of this start of the five-year term”Aurélien Taché, who left the presidential party in 2020 and now sits in the environmental opposition.
A photograph of the lines of cleavage within the majority on this subject will appear at the start of the school year.