"French president Emmanuel Macron has broken the dam against the far right," European Green Party co-chair Mélanie Vogel says, reacting to the vote on the Immigration bill in the French Parliament last night.
A total of 349 MPs, including lawmakers from Macron's centrist Renaissance, the conservative Les Républicains (LR/EPP) and 88 National Rally (RN/ID) members, ultimately voted in favour of the bill on Tuesday, while 186 voted against. Almost a quarter of the MPs from Macron's coalition abstained or voted against the bill.
The far-right leader Marine Le Pen (RN /ID) claimed the vote as an “ideological victory”. The bill undermines the right to asylum, international law and human rights. It weakens access to social security and threatens medical aid to immigrants. These limitations have been voiced by the former Front National and today the Rassemblement National.
Mélanie Vogel, co-chair of the European Green Party, says: “Yesterday, MPs from Macron's coalition voted together with the conservatives and Le Pen's far-right party on the migration bill. This text will implement measures that the far-right has been advocating for decades. In doing so, the French right-wing parties deny the French values of ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’”.
“Migration management is a challenge that should not be left to the simplistic and false solutions of the far right. Democratic parties should always reject its political instrumentalisation and work for sensible solutions that uphold our values, fundamental rights and the rule of law. The Greens fight for a fair asylum and migration system that respects human rights and is based on the principle of solidarity between Member States”.
Once again, the European Green Party warns the member parties of the European People’s Party (EPP), ALDE and Renew against this suicidal idea of copying the discourse and programme of far-right and racist political parties. It always leads to the same result: the decline of democratic parties and the rise of the far-right ideas and electoral results. In the Netherlands, Mark Rutte's VVD (ALDE) copied the discourse of the far-right PVV and dropped to third place - after dominating Dutch politics for decades.
“The European elections will take place in 6 months. The path of democratic politicians should remain clear: respect for international human rights conventions. And no compromises whatsoever with the far right. Our common democratic future depends on it. Wake up!” Mélanie Vogel concludes.