the government re-re-re-reviews its timing – Liberation

Braking, acceleration, deviation? One vehicle or several? With whom in the right lane? On immigration, the executive definitely seems to have lost control. A discreet meeting, which was not on the official agenda, was held Tuesday evening at Matignon between Elisabeth Borne and her ministers Gérald Darmanin (Interior), Franck Riester (Relations with Parliament) and Olivier Dussopt (Labour) . The head of government asked the first, in connection with his two colleagues, to lead a month of “consultations” on immigration to present a draft law in July, for consideration in Parliament “in autumn”.

You must follow ! By presenting his “roadmap”on April 26, the Prime Minister noted that“there is no majority to vote for such a text”, and let a much vaguer timetable hover. Unable to release a «accord global» in the coming months, it was a question of presenting “in any case, a text in the fall”. Fifteen days later, she returns there foot to the floor.

Turnaround? Olivier Véran rejects. “Precision on the method and the timing”, and no “turnaround”, minimized the government spokesman on Wednesday, at the exit of the Council of Ministers. “It has always been said that the immigration bill will be considered in Parliament in the autumn. For this, it must have been presented […] avant»he plays on the words: senatorial in September, break in August… “you are coming in July”. Certainly, but Elisabeth Borne, at the end of April, judged that if “the fight against illegal immigration is a government priority”, “this is not the time to launch a debate on a subject that could divide the country”.

Critics from all sides

The soap opera has therefore rebounded again. Let us summarize the previous episodes: at the start, a polished communication plan accompanies this supposed bill “control immigration and improve integration”. At the beginning of November, Darmanin (ex-LR) and Dussopt (former PS) appear as a duo to show the balance of their policy. The text is presented to the Council of Ministers on February 1. Instead of casting a wide net, it attracts criticism from all sides. The left, worried about the repressive aspect, refuses to hear about it. Privileged partner, the right castigates the new residence permit for undocumented migrants working in sectors with labor shortages and cries out “the air call”. The macronists feel that the project is going to the wall but rely on the skill of the Minister of the Interior. Which intends to coax first the LR senators, then hoping that the LR deputies will not be able to deny the copy amended by their comrades.

After the recourse to article 49.3 on the pension reform (and the failure of the deal with LR), it is necessary to change the plans and to disconnect the examination in the Senate. On March 22, Emmanuel Macron announces that the text on immigration will be “cut out” in pieces «plus courts»examined “in the next weeks”. The President (LR) of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, wanted the debate postponed but refuses this salami. New essay: to the readers of Parisian, on April 23, the President orders “an effective and fair law, in a single text”.

Meanwhile, Borne probes the LR leaders and starts with Larcher. In February, his troops drew their fads in committee: replacement of state medical aid with meager emergency medical aid, tightening of the system for sick foreigners, etc. Should we expect another one-upmanship from LR deputies? Then a phone call to the boss of the party, Eric Ciotti, who brandished the idea of ​​a referendum to modify the Constitution, to investigate asylum requests outside France and to put an end to family reunification… Here is the Prime Minister chilled.

«[Elisabeth Borne] pass the mistigri to the right. However, the consultations with LR are doomed to failure. Borne entrusts the mission to Darmanin and does not care because she knows the result.

— A chosen Renaissance

What then pushes the executive to return to the charge? The voluntarism of a Darmanin, clinging to his bill? The determination of Macron, anxious to display his firmness in matters of immigration? Or the pressure from LR who is working on two bills in the Assembly? Place Beauvau, we are satisfied in any case with this ultimate arbitration. In recent weeks, Darmanin has again darkened on the banning of ultra-right demonstrations, after having caused a falling out with Italy over Meloni’s migration policy, without fear of putting Matignon at odds. “The Elysée has got its hands on the steering wheel of Matignon to force the turn… analyzes a Renaissance deputy. The President repeated again that he wanted a text.” At Matignon, we swear that the two heads of the executive are aligned. But is it still up to the Prime Minister to get wet to win hypothetical compromises? A government adviser decrypts: “Since Darmanin claims to be able to find a majority, Borne says to him: “Go ahead, demonstrate it”. I don’t find her in bad shape.” For another elected Renaissance, the head of government does not want “to pass for the one who blocks, she hands over the mistigri to the right. However, the consultations with LR are doomed to failure. Borne entrusts the mission to Darmanin and does not care because she knows the result”.

Sacha Houlié’s “alternative route”

The executive also does not intend to leave the field open to LR who, divided on pensions, wants to recover his health. At the risk of falling behind the right? The Renaissance deputies refuse to amputate the text of its “integration” section: “We are not giving up anything, neither the expulsion of foreign offenders nor the regularization of workers in shortage occupations, an unsurpassable element”, warns Sacha Houlié. The president of the law commission of the Assembly will remind ministers Dussopt and Darmanin, with whom he must have lunch this Thursday in the company of the president of the Renaissance group, Aurore Bergé, and the deputy of Gironde, Florent Boudié. “There was an overarching bill which, legally and politically, was the most coherent. The hypocrisy of the right and the left seems to obstruct this royal road”, deplores Houlié, who proposed a “alternative route” : unraveling the LR proposal, rewriting it with the macronist sauce and, at the same time, registering a bill containing the measures on integration by language and the residence permit for “jobs in tension”. The hon. member already has the text under his elbow. For another Renaissance parliamentarian, it makes sense to reopen the file as soon as LR advances its pawns, but he is surprised that the government has leaked its plan: “The dialogue had to be conducted under cover. It is stupidity to have made the calendar and the strategy public. We add a risk on a sensitive subject and already off to a bad start. If, in addition, the government misses the tunnels…