The revised bill received support from both Macron’s President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN).
This vote caused a split within Macron’s party, leading to the resignation of Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau. Left-wing parties accused Macron of compromising with the far right.
Macron’s
After the initial draft was rejected by parliament, including both National Rally and left-wing factions, the government revised the bill, making some provisions more stringent.
The updated legislation introduces challenges for migrants seeking to bring family members to France and delays their access to welfare benefits. Additionally, it prohibits the detention of minors in detention centers.
A controversial clause in the law differentiates between citizens and migrants, including those residing legally in the country, regarding eligibility for benefits.
The tougher version gained support from right-wing parties, who endorsed it on Monday. Marine Le Pen hailed the amended bill as an “ideological victory” for the far-right, while Eric Ciotti, leader of the right-wing Republican party, described it as “firm and courageous.”
However, left-wing critics argued that Macron was empowering the far-right. Socialist party leader Olivier Faure said, “History will remember those who betrayed their convictions.”
In the central French region of Lot, officials in the left-led area declared their refusal to implement the law’s provisions on benefits for non-citizens.
The French vote occurred just before an EU agreement to reform the asylum system across the bloc’s 27 member states. The new pact, approved by EU governments and European Parliament members, includes the establishment of border detention centers and facilitates the swift deportation of rejected asylum seekers.
Parliament President Roberta Metsola hailed the agreement as a landmark, allowing the relocation of asylum seekers from southern member states to other countries. However, formal approval is still pending from the Parliament and member states.
The new French legislation exposed divisions within the governing alliance, with 27 MPs voting against and 32 abstaining—nearly a quarter of pro-Macron MPs. Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau resigned in protest, expressing discomfort with certain measures in the bill. Other ministers are reportedly considering quitting.
The bill would have passed if Le Pen’s party had abstained but not if it had voted against. The government argued that its majority was sufficient without National Rally votes.
After the vote, the prime minister acknowledged potential constitutional concerns, stating, “We will ask the Constitutional Council,” referring to the top court responsible for upholding constitutional principles.
Human rights groups criticized the reform as the most regressive immigration law in decades. Since losing its majority in parliament in June 2022, Macron’s party has faced challenges in winning votes.
