Solene Delinger
modified to
09:01, August 18, 2022
François Rebsamen was the guest of Europe 1 this Thursday morning. At the microphone of Lionel Gougelot, the PS mayor of Dijon returned to the bill of the majority deputy Sacha Houlié, who wishes to grant the right to vote to foreigners for local elections. A “very interesting” initiative according to François Rebsamen.
François Rebsamen finds the bill proposed by majority deputy Sacha Houlié very “interesting”, who wishes to grant foreigners the right to vote in local elections. “I found that his proposal was quite interesting and I suggested that he take up the text which was adopted in the Senate”, affirms the PS mayor of Dijon this Thursday morning on Europe 1. Few citizens know moreover that the Senate adopted this text in December 2011 on my proposal”, he underlines.
62% of French people are in favor of this proposal
François Rebsamen is for granting foreigners the right to vote in local elections. And, he reminds Lionel Gougelot at the microphone that this proposal wins the support of the French. “More than 62% of French people are in favor of it. And what is encouraging is that 75% of those under 34 are in favor of it,” he says.
A citizenship of residence “would absolutely not create communitarianism”
François Rebsamen sweeps away the argument of the detractors of this proposal, who affirm that the attribution of the right to vote to foreigners “would in some way break the link which exists between nationality and voting”. “This is an argument that was heard, of course, but it is much less so from the moment nationals of 26 European countries can participate”, underlines the PS mayor of Dijon, who advocates the invention of a “citizenship of residence”.
A form of “slow” from the far right
“I propose that we invent a citizenship of residence which, contrary to what I hear said by part of the extreme right and the extreme right, absolutely does not create communitarianism”, assures François Rebsamen. “I do think all the same that behind the refusal that I hear from Zemmour, from friends and deputies of Madame Le Pen or even Eric Ciotti, there is a form of relent all the same. We have the right when we are European, but when you come from the other side of the Mediterranean, you don’t have the right. I think that’s what’s left unsaid. So for this unsaid, we’re told that have communitarianism”, deplores the mayor of Dijon.
“But what is worse than not allowing these citizens to participate in local elections exclusively, without them being able to become mayor or deputy mayor, even though they pay taxes?” , concludes François Rebsamen.