‘End of reign’: Macron faces ungovernable France after shock immigration loss
French president’s lost majority hits him with a vengeance.
Doubts about Emmanuel Macron's ability to govern France have been swirling since he lost the parliamentary elections last year |
French president’s lost majority hits him with a vengeance.
Doubts about Emmanuel Macron's ability to govern France have been swirling since he lost the parliamentary elections last year |
Pool photo by Ludovic Marin via AFP/Getty Images
BY CLEA CAULCUTT
DECEMBER 12, 2023
PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron has been stopped dead in his tracks over the failure of a flagship immigration bill that shows how hard it will now be to run France without an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
On Monday, the National Assembly rejected his flagship immigration bill in a dramatic vote that took the government by surprise. The defeat was made more humiliating by the fact that lawmakers didn’t even debate the text, but rejected it in a preliminary vote.
The upset sent shockwaves through the political establishment and raised questions about whether France has become ungovernable.
“It could mean we are reaching the end of his mandate faster than expected, that we are entering Emmanuel Macron’s end of reign. He’s running out of steam, and will find it harder and harder to keep his MPs in check,” said political analyst Chloé Morin.
Doubts about Macron’s ability to govern France have been swirling since he lost the parliamentary elections last year. While his centrist coalition remained the largest group in the National Assembly, he no longer had an absolute majority to pass legislation.
After initially floating the idea that France would learn the arts of coalition politics, the president settled on a policy of muddling through with ad hoc deals with the opposition conservative Les Républicains.
The government has been able to reach compromises in some consensual areas including legislation to boost buying power and fighting unemployment.
And when that hasn’t worked, Macron has reached for the bazooka, using a controversial constitutional maneuver that allows him to bypass parliament, for example to pass his contentious pensions reform.
But the spectacular debacle over the immigration bill has blown up Macron’s method for governing.
“The government is reaching the limit of its ‘at the same time’ method,” said Olivier Marleix, president of the Les Républicains group in the National Assembly. “The government must choose its team” he added in an interview with TV channel LCI, whether for hardening or softening the immigration bill.
The repercussions of Monday’s vote will be felt far and wide, with opposition parties already calling for the resignation of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and fresh elections.
A defeat a long time coming
The government’s defeat Monday was a particular shock because it has been painstakingly preparing the immigration bill for months. In the wake of the parliamentary defeat last year, it was postponed several times, on each occasion raising the stakes for Macron’s government.
BY CLEA CAULCUTT
DECEMBER 12, 2023
PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron has been stopped dead in his tracks over the failure of a flagship immigration bill that shows how hard it will now be to run France without an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
On Monday, the National Assembly rejected his flagship immigration bill in a dramatic vote that took the government by surprise. The defeat was made more humiliating by the fact that lawmakers didn’t even debate the text, but rejected it in a preliminary vote.
The upset sent shockwaves through the political establishment and raised questions about whether France has become ungovernable.
“It could mean we are reaching the end of his mandate faster than expected, that we are entering Emmanuel Macron’s end of reign. He’s running out of steam, and will find it harder and harder to keep his MPs in check,” said political analyst Chloé Morin.
Doubts about Macron’s ability to govern France have been swirling since he lost the parliamentary elections last year. While his centrist coalition remained the largest group in the National Assembly, he no longer had an absolute majority to pass legislation.
After initially floating the idea that France would learn the arts of coalition politics, the president settled on a policy of muddling through with ad hoc deals with the opposition conservative Les Républicains.
The government has been able to reach compromises in some consensual areas including legislation to boost buying power and fighting unemployment.
And when that hasn’t worked, Macron has reached for the bazooka, using a controversial constitutional maneuver that allows him to bypass parliament, for example to pass his contentious pensions reform.
But the spectacular debacle over the immigration bill has blown up Macron’s method for governing.
“The government is reaching the limit of its ‘at the same time’ method,” said Olivier Marleix, president of the Les Républicains group in the National Assembly. “The government must choose its team” he added in an interview with TV channel LCI, whether for hardening or softening the immigration bill.
The repercussions of Monday’s vote will be felt far and wide, with opposition parties already calling for the resignation of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and fresh elections.
A defeat a long time coming
The government’s defeat Monday was a particular shock because it has been painstakingly preparing the immigration bill for months. In the wake of the parliamentary defeat last year, it was postponed several times, on each occasion raising the stakes for Macron’s government.
Opposition parties are already calling for the resignation of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and fresh elections | Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images
It was hoped the legislation, which aims to speed up the deportation of foreigners who have committed crimes on French soil and includes measures to legalize undocumented workers in some cases, would get the backing of conservatives and left-leaning centrists.
But the initial stages of debate on the immigration bill were chaotic. The legislation was hardened in its first reading at the Senate which is dominated by the center-right, and then softened when it reached the parliamentary committee stage of the National Assembly.
Still, defeat came as a surprise. The government hoped the conservatives would be forced to vote for a bill on one of their core issues: immigration. In the run-up to the vote, Darmanin press-ganged the conservatives into voting for the bill. “Imagine if you rejected this legislation,” he warned last week, “and then a foreign delinquent committed a crime. The responsibility of the [Les Républicains] would be enormous.”
The government also hoped that the far-left France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally would refuse to unite their votes against Macron’s coalition. But on Monday, their divide-and-rule tactics failed.
The vote “shows that, given the make-up of the National Assembly, it’s impossible to reach a consensus on a topic as divisive as immigration … there’s a very important political faultline,” Morin said.
Lame duck Macron
For the French president, the defeat is a rude awakening and a miserable return to domestic politics from international high diplomacy. In an attempt to shield himself from the upset of governing without a clear majority, he had mostly delegated the daily toil of running the government to his Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.
But the current crisis isn’t one he can ignore.
Former Presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand both chose to hold fresh elections when faced with hostile or ungovernable parliaments during their mandates.
But on Tuesday, Macron told ministers the vote did not show there was “a substitute majority” that could emerge, according to a government adviser quoted by AFP. The truth is that with the rise of the far-right National Rally in recent months, neither Macron’s Renaissance party, the conservatives nor the left want to face a fresh drubbing in the polls.
The French president is now desperately seeking a way to break the deadlock on his draft immigration legislation. A joint parliamentary committee made up of senators and MPs has been tasked with finding a compromise. It’s unclear how more time for negotiations will yield better results.
But the pressure is rising on Macron to react.
“It’s hard to imagine General de Gaulle [would] suffer such a defeat and do nothing,” Morin said.
It was hoped the legislation, which aims to speed up the deportation of foreigners who have committed crimes on French soil and includes measures to legalize undocumented workers in some cases, would get the backing of conservatives and left-leaning centrists.
But the initial stages of debate on the immigration bill were chaotic. The legislation was hardened in its first reading at the Senate which is dominated by the center-right, and then softened when it reached the parliamentary committee stage of the National Assembly.
Still, defeat came as a surprise. The government hoped the conservatives would be forced to vote for a bill on one of their core issues: immigration. In the run-up to the vote, Darmanin press-ganged the conservatives into voting for the bill. “Imagine if you rejected this legislation,” he warned last week, “and then a foreign delinquent committed a crime. The responsibility of the [Les Républicains] would be enormous.”
The government also hoped that the far-left France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally would refuse to unite their votes against Macron’s coalition. But on Monday, their divide-and-rule tactics failed.
The vote “shows that, given the make-up of the National Assembly, it’s impossible to reach a consensus on a topic as divisive as immigration … there’s a very important political faultline,” Morin said.
Lame duck Macron
For the French president, the defeat is a rude awakening and a miserable return to domestic politics from international high diplomacy. In an attempt to shield himself from the upset of governing without a clear majority, he had mostly delegated the daily toil of running the government to his Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.
But the current crisis isn’t one he can ignore.
Former Presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand both chose to hold fresh elections when faced with hostile or ungovernable parliaments during their mandates.
But on Tuesday, Macron told ministers the vote did not show there was “a substitute majority” that could emerge, according to a government adviser quoted by AFP. The truth is that with the rise of the far-right National Rally in recent months, neither Macron’s Renaissance party, the conservatives nor the left want to face a fresh drubbing in the polls.
The French president is now desperately seeking a way to break the deadlock on his draft immigration legislation. A joint parliamentary committee made up of senators and MPs has been tasked with finding a compromise. It’s unclear how more time for negotiations will yield better results.
But the pressure is rising on Macron to react.
“It’s hard to imagine General de Gaulle [would] suffer such a defeat and do nothing,” Morin said.
Paris (AFP) – France's government insisted Tuesday it would implement tough measures against illegal migrants as it battled a political crisis following the rejection of its flagship immigration bill in the lower house of parliament.
Issued on: 12/12/2023
The defeat was a major personal setback for Darmanin
© Ludovic MARIN / AFP
In a surprise move on Monday, members of the opposition joined forces in the National Assembly to vote down the controversial legislation aimed at hardening French law -- without even debating the measures.
The rejection of one of the government's flagship initiatives is a humiliating defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron who does not have a majority in parliament and comes amid a heated debate in society around immigration and security.
Macron held a crisis meeting Tuesday with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and key ministers, deciding to maintain the bid to pass the bill and send the legislation back to a parliamentary committee, the government said.
According to a government source, Macron at a later cabinet meeting denounced the "cynicism" of members of the opposition, accusing them of seeking to "obstruct the country."
"We need a law on integration and immigration," Macron was quoted as saying.
Speaking in parliament, Borne said that by joining forces the left-wing NUPES alliance and the far-right were doing a disservice to the French.
"You only offer them chaos. It's irresponsible, it's dangerous," she said.
Borne said the government was looking for compromise but was determined to adopt "strong measures for our fellow citizens."
- 'Firm measures' -
Macron rejected on Monday the offer from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has spearheaded the bill, to step down, instead ordering him to find new ways to break the deadlock.
Darmanin said he wanted "firm measures" to be put in place by the end of the year.
Advocacy groups have criticised the bill, saying France relies on migrants including undocumented workers in a lot of industries.
Originally proposed by Macron's centrist government with a mix of steps to expel more undocumented people and improve migrants' integration, the draft law has been criticised by both the far right and the far left for opposing reasons.
Darmanin on Monday urged the National Assembly to debate the bill but lawmakers backed the motion to dismiss by 270 votes to 265.
The adoption of the motion led to the interruption of the examination of the legislation's roughly 2,600 proposed amendments.
The bill now leans firmly towards enforcement after its earlier passage through the upper house Senate, which is controlled by the right.
The government will now send the legislation to a so-called mixed parliamentary commission made of upper house Senators and lower house MPs in a bid to thrash out a compromise text, said government spokesman Olivier Veran.
It would start its work "as soon as possible," he said.
The compromise version would still have to be backed by both houses of parliament.
In a surprise move on Monday, members of the opposition joined forces in the National Assembly to vote down the controversial legislation aimed at hardening French law -- without even debating the measures.
The rejection of one of the government's flagship initiatives is a humiliating defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron who does not have a majority in parliament and comes amid a heated debate in society around immigration and security.
Macron held a crisis meeting Tuesday with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and key ministers, deciding to maintain the bid to pass the bill and send the legislation back to a parliamentary committee, the government said.
According to a government source, Macron at a later cabinet meeting denounced the "cynicism" of members of the opposition, accusing them of seeking to "obstruct the country."
"We need a law on integration and immigration," Macron was quoted as saying.
Speaking in parliament, Borne said that by joining forces the left-wing NUPES alliance and the far-right were doing a disservice to the French.
"You only offer them chaos. It's irresponsible, it's dangerous," she said.
Borne said the government was looking for compromise but was determined to adopt "strong measures for our fellow citizens."
- 'Firm measures' -
Macron rejected on Monday the offer from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has spearheaded the bill, to step down, instead ordering him to find new ways to break the deadlock.
Darmanin said he wanted "firm measures" to be put in place by the end of the year.
Advocacy groups have criticised the bill, saying France relies on migrants including undocumented workers in a lot of industries.
Originally proposed by Macron's centrist government with a mix of steps to expel more undocumented people and improve migrants' integration, the draft law has been criticised by both the far right and the far left for opposing reasons.
Darmanin on Monday urged the National Assembly to debate the bill but lawmakers backed the motion to dismiss by 270 votes to 265.
The adoption of the motion led to the interruption of the examination of the legislation's roughly 2,600 proposed amendments.
The bill now leans firmly towards enforcement after its earlier passage through the upper house Senate, which is controlled by the right.
The government will now send the legislation to a so-called mixed parliamentary commission made of upper house Senators and lower house MPs in a bid to thrash out a compromise text, said government spokesman Olivier Veran.
It would start its work "as soon as possible," he said.
The compromise version would still have to be backed by both houses of parliament.
President Emmanuel Macron summoned ministers including Darmanin for a meeting
© LUDOVIC MARIN / POOL/AFP/File
The government could once again opt to trigger article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows it to pass legislation without a vote, as it did with contentious pension reforms earlier this year.
But the government wants to avoid wielding this widely unpopular constitutional hammer, which can also trigger a no-confidence vote.
The far-right called for the dissolution of parliament's lower house and early elections.
"Faced with this major political crisis, we must return to the people," Jordan Bardella, head of far-right Rassemblement National (RN), declared on BFMTV.
The left have said the bill should be dropped.
- 'Less and less control' -
France's immigrant population is estimated at 5.1 million, or 7.6 percent of the population. The authorities believe there are between 600,000 to 700,000 illegal immigrants in the country.
In neighbouring Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to stop irregular migration with deportation flights to Rwanda has also sparked a crisis.
In both countries, a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a chronic affordable housing shortage, and a cost-of-living crisis have worsened social tensions.
The outcome is deeply frustrating for Macron, who French media are seeing as a potential lame duck as he sits out the rest of his term without being able to stand for a third time in 2027.
The rejection of the bill "highlights the fact that the government has less and less control," said the Le Monde daily.
© 2023 AFP
The government could once again opt to trigger article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows it to pass legislation without a vote, as it did with contentious pension reforms earlier this year.
But the government wants to avoid wielding this widely unpopular constitutional hammer, which can also trigger a no-confidence vote.
The far-right called for the dissolution of parliament's lower house and early elections.
"Faced with this major political crisis, we must return to the people," Jordan Bardella, head of far-right Rassemblement National (RN), declared on BFMTV.
The left have said the bill should be dropped.
- 'Less and less control' -
France's immigrant population is estimated at 5.1 million, or 7.6 percent of the population. The authorities believe there are between 600,000 to 700,000 illegal immigrants in the country.
In neighbouring Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to stop irregular migration with deportation flights to Rwanda has also sparked a crisis.
In both countries, a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a chronic affordable housing shortage, and a cost-of-living crisis have worsened social tensions.
The outcome is deeply frustrating for Macron, who French media are seeing as a potential lame duck as he sits out the rest of his term without being able to stand for a third time in 2027.
The rejection of the bill "highlights the fact that the government has less and less control," said the Le Monde daily.
© 2023 AFP
France to send controversial immigration bill to special joint commission
France's government insisted Tuesday it would implement tough measures against illegal migrants as it battled a political crisis following the rejection of its flagship immigration bill in the lower house of parliament.
Issued on: 12/12/2023 -
A general view of France's National Assembly in Paris on Monday, December 11, 2023.
© Michel Euler, AP
By: NEWS WIRES
In a surprise move on Monday, members of the opposition joined forces in parliament's National Assembly to vote down the controversial legislation without even debating it, sparking a political crisis.
The rejection of one of the government's flagship initiatives is a humiliating defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron who does not have a majority in parliament and comes amid a heated debate in society around immigration and security.
Advocacy groups have criticised the bill which seeks to toughen the country's immigration law, saying France relies on migrants including undocumented workers in a lot of industries.
On Tuesday morning, Macron held a crisis meeting with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and key ministers at the Elysee, deciding to maintain its bid to pass the bill and send the legislation back to a parliamentary committee, the government said.
Macron rejected on Monday the offer from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has spearheaded the bill, to step down, instead ordering him to find new ways to break the deadlock and push the legislation through.
On a visit to a police station in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, Darmanin said that "whatever path we take" he wanted "firm measures" to be put in place by the end of the year to help law enforcement to fight illegal immigration.
Return to people
Originally proposed by Macron's centrist government with a mix of steps to expel more undocumented people and improve migrants' integration, the draft law has been criticised by both the far right and the far left for opposing reasons.
Darmanin on Monday urged the National Assembly to debate the bill but lawmakers backed the motion to dismiss by 270 votes to 265.
The adoption of the motion led to the interruption of the examination of the legislation's roughly 2,600 proposed amendments.
The bill now leans firmly towards enforcement after its earlier passage through the upper house Senate, which is controlled by the right.
The government will now send the legislation to a so-called mixed parliamentary commission made of upper house Senators and lower house MPs in a bid to thrash out a compromise text, government spokesman Olivier Veran told reporters.
It would start its work "as soon as possible," he said.
The compromise version would still have to be backed by both houses of parliament, with no guarantee it would not face the same obstacles in the National Assembly.
The government could once again opt to trigger article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows it to pass legislation without a vote, as it did with contentious pension reforms earlier this year.
But the government wants to avoid wielding this widely unpopular constitutional hammer, which can also trigger a no-confidence vote.
The far-right called for the dissolution of parliament's lower house and early elections.
"Faced with this major political crisis, we must return to the people," Jordan Bardella, head of far-right Rassemblement National (RN), declared on BFMTV.
The left have said the bill should be dropped.
In a surprise move on Monday, members of the opposition joined forces in parliament's National Assembly to vote down the controversial legislation without even debating it, sparking a political crisis.
The rejection of one of the government's flagship initiatives is a humiliating defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron who does not have a majority in parliament and comes amid a heated debate in society around immigration and security.
Advocacy groups have criticised the bill which seeks to toughen the country's immigration law, saying France relies on migrants including undocumented workers in a lot of industries.
On Tuesday morning, Macron held a crisis meeting with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and key ministers at the Elysee, deciding to maintain its bid to pass the bill and send the legislation back to a parliamentary committee, the government said.
Macron rejected on Monday the offer from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has spearheaded the bill, to step down, instead ordering him to find new ways to break the deadlock and push the legislation through.
On a visit to a police station in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, Darmanin said that "whatever path we take" he wanted "firm measures" to be put in place by the end of the year to help law enforcement to fight illegal immigration.
Return to people
Originally proposed by Macron's centrist government with a mix of steps to expel more undocumented people and improve migrants' integration, the draft law has been criticised by both the far right and the far left for opposing reasons.
Darmanin on Monday urged the National Assembly to debate the bill but lawmakers backed the motion to dismiss by 270 votes to 265.
The adoption of the motion led to the interruption of the examination of the legislation's roughly 2,600 proposed amendments.
The bill now leans firmly towards enforcement after its earlier passage through the upper house Senate, which is controlled by the right.
The government will now send the legislation to a so-called mixed parliamentary commission made of upper house Senators and lower house MPs in a bid to thrash out a compromise text, government spokesman Olivier Veran told reporters.
It would start its work "as soon as possible," he said.
The compromise version would still have to be backed by both houses of parliament, with no guarantee it would not face the same obstacles in the National Assembly.
The government could once again opt to trigger article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows it to pass legislation without a vote, as it did with contentious pension reforms earlier this year.
But the government wants to avoid wielding this widely unpopular constitutional hammer, which can also trigger a no-confidence vote.
The far-right called for the dissolution of parliament's lower house and early elections.
"Faced with this major political crisis, we must return to the people," Jordan Bardella, head of far-right Rassemblement National (RN), declared on BFMTV.
The left have said the bill should be dropped.
'Open to discussion'
In neighbouring Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to stop irregular migration with deportation flights to Rwanda has also sparked a crisis.
In both countries, a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a chronic affordable housing shortage, and a cost-of-living crisis have worsened social tensions.
Eric Ciotti, head of France's conservative The Republicans (LR), whose cooperation is crucial, said he was ready to continue discussions but not with Darmanin.
"I am open to discussion on the continuation of this text, but I will do it with the prime minister," Ciotti said on Europe1.
But the outcome is deeply frustrating for Macron, who French media are increasingly seeing as a potential lame duck as he sits out the rest of his term without being able to stand for a third time in 2027.
While the rejection is above all "the failure of Gerald Darmanin, it also highlights the fact that the government has less and less control," said the Le Monde daily.
(AFP)
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