With its offensive on immigration, LR wants to display an image of unity after the divisions on pensions

2023-05-23 05:00:09

In recent weeks, Eric Ciotti has never given an interview without mentioning Denmark. On Wednesday, May 24, the president of the Les Républicains (LR) party is also expected in Copenhagen to observe on the spot one of the most restrictive policies in Europe (led by a social-democratic government) in terms of immigration. This trip prolongs the offensive of the right on this theme, which began three days earlier in the Sunday newspaper (JDD), with a series of radical measures unveiled by the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes in the company of the boss of the LR group in the National Assembly, Olivier Marleix, and his counterpart in the Senate, Bruno Retailleau.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The immigration law finally put back on the job

The watchword is easy to remember: “Stop mass immigration. » Since then, the right seems to close ranks behind its leaders. “This is a break in migration policy, something that has never been said by a government party for thirty years”, greets Pierre-Henri Dumont, one of the specialists on the subject at LR, at the microphone of BFM-TV. Two weeks earlier, the deputy of Pas-de-Calais and his friend and colleague from Lot, Aurélien Pradié, pleaded in a forum at the JDD for a shared initiative referendum on the subject. The form changes, but the substance remains the same.

The two bills (PPL) – one constitutional, the other ordinary – that Les Républicains are due to table this week are counter-projects to the immigration law that the government is preparing, which has become an Arlesian. “The majority has been hesitating for months, they advance, withdraw, put back this textobserves the general secretary of LR, Annie Genevard. We propose to the government a serious, solid and complete project and we tell it: “you want to act on immigration: we give you a modus operandi.” »

“They had dispersed like a puzzle”

Reform of the Constitution allowing France to withdraw from the European treaties, possibility of organizing a referendum on the subject, reinstatement of the crime of illegal residence… By proposing several radical measures in immigration matters, Les Républicains assume the risk of turning the wing left of the majority and limit their chances of getting these two PPLs to vote.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Immigration: the government seeks to extricate itself from the trap set by Les Républicains

But the essential is elsewhere: in fact, with this offensive on one of its cherished themes, the right seeks to perk up after months spent tearing itself apart over pension reform. Because, within the party, the subject of immigration is much less divisive and makes it possible to bring together divided troops, while being on the initiative. An approach “for internal and external use”analyzes Hervé Marseille, the president of the centrist group in the Senate (allied to LR). “It allows them to find each other, because they had dispersed like a puzzle, in addition to establishing a front line with the government. »

You have 31.47% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.