Immigration at the heart of the French presidential election: an update by candidate

Le Regard Libre N° 82 - Antoine Bernhard and Jonas Follonier

Immigration« folder»

With just a few weeks to go before the French presidential election, immigration is one of the main themes shaping the campaign. The right has made it its favorite subject, and the left has responded with varying degrees of skill. The results.

Eric Zemmour is the most radical on this issue.

According to him, immigration «exacerbates all of France’s problems.» It is the driving force behind a «clash of civilizations,» which involves, in particular, a «great replacement» of the population. He claims that this phenomenon is caused by an excessively large number of new arrivals, making it impossible for them to assimilate into French culture and customs. The political newcomer therefore wants to «reduce immigration to zero» by holding a referendum on the issue as soon as he is elected, which will include all of his proposals, such as the elimination of family reunification and birthright citizenship, drastic restrictions on the right to asylum, and the deportation of all undocumented immigrants and foreign criminals.

Read also | Zemmour as a candidate: good news for everyone

Marine Le Pen would almost seem weak by comparison.

She, who had specifically made the «de-demonization» of her party a priority, is suddenly no longer the farthest-right candidate in this election. Although she can claim to have long defended—as did the National Front before her—most of Zemmour’s proposals on immigration, and although her figures on the subject are well-researched, she does not adopt her rival’s combative rhetoric on Islam, as is typical. For her, the focus is less on civilization and more on purchasing power; but perhaps also more on the French people than on France itself.

For Les Républicains candidate Valérie Pécresse, «managing migration flows is a major societal challenge.»

Her political vision on the issue ends there. However, she proposes a set of very concrete measures, some of which are included in a «Constitutional Bill to End Uncontrolled Immigration» that has already been drafted. Rejecting the idea of «zero immigration,» Pécresse supports a policy of annual quotas and wants to renegotiate agreements with foreign countries that refuse to take back their nationals deported from France.

Macron, for his part, is expected to stick to his centrist course, guided by pragmatism.

His platform, however, has not yet been made public. During his previous campaign, the current president expressed a desire to better «define the needs for economic immigration.» This is and remains the primary lens through which he approaches the issue. But Macron undoubtedly has an equally sincere commitment to combating communitarianism; his speeches and decisions bear witness to this. The decisive factor will be his proposals at the end of a rather mixed term in office, particularly on the subject of immigration—at least from the French people’s perspective.

As for Socialist Anne Hidalgo, there are no concrete proposals at this time.

She says she supports European management of immigration in the name of «democratic principles» and «France’s tradition of welcoming immigrants.» She limits herself to clichés: «You can love France and be proud of your heritage,» «Without these men and women of immigrant background, France would not be what it is,» etc. While she does not comment on the number of immigrants, she asserts that they must be better welcomed.

Within the Green Party, Yannick Jadot supports a broad policy of welcoming refugees, which, like family reunification, falls under France’s «humanitarian duty.».

He advocates for a «European migration policy» and says he sees «no problem with immigration in France today.» He had expressed outrage over Poland’s decision not to take in the refugees gathered at the border with Belarus.

Finally, according to Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise, «immigration is not a problem in and of itself.»

For him, the issue is primarily a social one; the problem with immigration is France’s inability to offer immigrants a life of dignity. The leader of the radical left opposes the notion of assimilation, which «makes no sense»; he advocates «creolization,» a synthesis of the various identities arriving in France that thereby creates a new one.

Write to the authors: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com antoine.bernhard@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Wikimedia CC 4.0 Eric Zemmour at his first campaign rally ahead of the 2022 presidential election, at the Villepinte Exhibition Center.