Immigration: the Constitutional Council will render its decision on LR’s shared initiative referendum

This Thursday, the Constitutional Council must rule on the validity of a shared initiative referendum (RIP) on immigration, wanted by the Republicans. The idea is to submit to the French five measures censored by these same Sages in the text of the latest immigration law. For example, the transformation of state medical aid into emergency medical aid or the establishment of a minimum period of residence in France for the payment of certain social assistance. Thus, whatever the decision of the Constitutional Council, immigration will feature in the European campaign.

Towards censorship by the Constitutional Council?

If validated by the Constitutional Council, the Republicans will have nine months to collect 4.9 million voter signatures, or 10% of the electorate. The right would then install the referendum on immigration as a major theme of the campaign. A way of taking revenge on Emmanuel Macron, who himself had contacted the Sages to call for the censorship of certain measures adopted by Parliament.

On the other hand, a veto from the Constitutional Council would be a snub for LR, who would then be able to point out the politicization of judges and the complicity of the government. In a memorandum sent last month to rue de Montpensier, the executive called for once again censoring the Republicans’ approach. “If there were to be a new censorship, it would also be the demonstration that without a referendum on the question of immigration, we will not get away with it,” underlines Bruno Retailleau, president of the LR group in the Senate.

This procedure, introduced in 2008 in the Constitution, has until now never resulted in a referendum.