French Senate Votes to Deny Residence Permits for Rejecting ’Republican Principles’

This LR amendment by Roger Karoutchi was voted on in first reading during the examination of the bill against "separatism" last week, even if the government has warned against a risk of unconstitutionality. But for Les Républicains, this amendment makes perfect sense. "Someone who wants to separate from the Republic, it is the Republic that separates from him," defended the LR senator Jérôme Bascher.

Marlène Schiappa, Minister Delegate for Citizenship, has "reservations" about the constitutionality of this amendment even if she does not reject it. "In our humble opinion, the question arises of the characterization of the degree of rejection of the values of the Republic. This seems difficult to us and exposes us to a constitutional risk."

For his part, Philippe Bas (LR) does not understand the reasons why the government lacks enthusiasm in the face of a measure that is nevertheless "simple". For those who "expressly" reject the principles of the Republic, it is still the least they can do.

The government is not the only one to handle this amendment with tweezers. The socialist Marie-Pierre de La Gontrie highlights the legal instability of such a measure. "The legal contours are totally imprecise, who says imprecise says possibility of arbitrariness," she estimated.