French President Emmanuel Macron is facing a significant political backlash following a dramatic day in French politics, where Marine Le Pen’s hard-right party played a crucial role in the passing of a controversial immigration law. While Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and its allies had struggled to pass their original version of the immigration reform, they were forced to accept tougher changes brought forth by the mainstream right to avoid being seen as legislatively incapacitated. This decision was already challenging for Macron’s party, but what became even more problematic was the unexpected move by Marine Le Pen, who claimed victory for her party as the amended law recognized the principle of “national preference,” a long-sought goal for her National Rally party.
The amended law included several tougher provisions, such as making the payment of certain benefits conditional on a foreigner’s residency in France for up to five years, diluting the automatic right to citizenship for individuals born in France, and introducing parliamentary responsibility to establish annual quotas for immigration. Le Pen’s instruction to her party members to vote for the new text containing these measures was seen as a significant blow to Macron’s presidency and his centrist political movement. While some may argue that the bill’s content should be evaluated independently of the hard-right’s stance, the symbolism of relying on far-right votes to pass a law carries strong negative connotations.
The fallout from this incident has been substantial, with a quarter of deputies from Macron’s party and its allies refusing to vote for the bill to avoid being associated with the hard-right. Moreover, one minister has resigned, and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who originally came from the Socialist party, is visibly troubled by the situation. The left and hard-left parties are capitalizing on this political crisis, with Manon Aubry of France Unbowed denouncing the law as the “most xenophobic in French history,” and Yannick Jadot of the Greens claiming that “Trumpism” has arrived in France. President Macron and his party find themselves under immense pressure, compelled to form alliances with the right to pass legislation, which contradicts his original political creed of inclusiveness and bridging political divides.
This development marks a significant setback for Macron’s political strategy. He had attempted to create a new style of politics where he could navigate between different ideologies, leveraging his charisma and intellect. While this approach initially showed promise, it is now apparent that his failure to secure a working majority in parliament has forced him to align himself with the right if he wants to achieve any legislative progress. This compromise has dealt a blow to his image of political innovation and has raised questions about his ability to maintain his broad appeal across the political spectrum.
The passing of the controversial immigration law with the support of the hard-right has sparked a deep political crisis within Macron’s party and has demonstrated the fragility of his governing coalition. This incident may also have long-term implications for the political landscape in France, as it has normalized the idea of aligning with the far-right to push through legislation. It remains to be seen how Macron will navigate this crisis and whether he can regain the trust of his disillusioned supporters who may view this alliance as a betrayal of his original vision for French politics.
