Republicans suggest shared initiative referendum on immigration | EUROtoday

Ulcerated after the censorship, by the Constitutional Council, of a number of of their measures included within the “immigration” invoice, the Republican leaders responded on Monday, February 12, by proposing a shared initiative referendum (RIP).

“It is now a matter of giving voice to the French people so that they can decide directly by referendum” on immigration, asserts the fitting in its explanatory memorandum, confirming data posted on-line on the web site of the Figaro. The RIP that the fitting needs supplies for 5 measures, together with the conditionality of non-contributory social advantages – a measure censored in January by the Constitutional Council –, or the transformation of State medical support (AME) into medical support for emergency.

During his common coverage speech on the finish of January, the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, introduced that he would select the regulatory and non-legislative path to hold out a reform of the AME, opposite to the promise made by his predecessor, Elisabeth Borne , to the leaders of the Republicans. The president of the social gathering, Eric Ciotti, then deplored “a form of betrayal of the word given”.

In their RIP, the LRs additionally want to return to the value reductions on transport tickets to which undocumented persons are entitled, the impossibility, for an individual whose proper to asylum has been rejected, to have entry to lodging beneath the nationwide system. reception facilities, or the inclusion of short-term lodging facilities and people for asylum seekers within the rely of social housing in municipalities.

Obstacle course

But, earlier than reaching a referendum, the method resembles an extended impediment course for the Republicans. This process has by no means been profitable since its inclusion within the Constitution in 2008. This textual content should first acquire the signatures of 185 parliamentarians – which needs to be attainable because of the 132 senators of the LR group and the 62 deputies LR –, earlier than being validated inside one month by the Constitutional Council.

The LRs consider that their retained proposals fall properly inside the referendum area, making certain that they “relieves[nt] of the notion of reform relating to the social policy of the nation within the meaning of the first paragraph of article 11 of the Constitution”. The only RIP authorized by the Constitutional Council, against the privatization of Aéroports de Paris in 2020, had only gathered 1.1 million supporters at the end of nine months of collection.

It will then be necessary to obtain the support of 10% of the electorate, or nearly five million people, in nine months before the French can possibly decide within the framework of this RIP. “It is an offensive that is legal, political and democratic at the same time”assured Eric Ciotti to the Figaro.