Lhe deputy Sacha Houlié, member of the left wing of the Renaissance presidential group, tabled “in a personal capacity” a constitutional bill aimed at “granting the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal elections” to “all foreigners, even non-Europeans. Granting the right to vote to non-EU foreigners for municipal elections is “a question of social justice” in a France “lagging behind” on this subject, considers, in the JDDformer PS Minister François Rebsamen, support of Emmanuel Macron.
The initiative of deputy Sacha Houlié received a favorable reception on the left and aroused criticism from elected officials from the right and the far right. And the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, is “firmly opposed” to it.
“A perfect opportunity to show that the National Assembly can vote on left-wing texts”
“It’s a matter of social justice. Community nationals can take part in municipal elections. Therefore, the argument that was constantly opposed to us – and that the right continues to brandish – according to which granting such a benefit breaks the existing link between nationality and citizenship falls on its own”, considers François Rebsamen. “Why some and not others, except to show rejection, even racism, vis-à-vis some of our fellow citizens? Why this differentiated treatment, especially towards those who come from the other side of the Mediterranean? Fear of radical Islamism means that today many are crying wolf with the National Rally,” he adds.
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François Rebsamen therefore “welcomes” the initiative of Sacha Houlié, but rather advocates the resumption of a text adopted by the Assembly, but also by the Senate, then with a majority on the left, in 2011. “What the left did not have the courage to do under François Hollande […], she can do it now. This is a perfect opportunity to show that the National Assembly can vote on left-wing texts, ”he pleads.
The right to vote for foreigners in local elections had been promised by François Mitterrand and François Hollande, without success. As for the idea that “by authorizing foreigners to vote in municipal elections, there will be community lists”, according to François Rebsamen “it is false”, because the proposal “specifies clearly that they cannot be elected mayor or deputy or member of the electoral college of senators”.