President Macron’s ambitious interior minister has been forced to back down over his plan to fast-track a tough immigration bill designed to allow the expulsion of more foreign criminals, reports The Times.
Gérald Darmanin had been pressing for a swift vote in parliament on the legislation, which also includes measures intended to ensure that foreigners are only allowed to stay in France if they accept national “values” such as secularism and gender equality.
However, Darmanin’s crackdown is believed to have split Macron’s centrist cabinet, with some members worried that it was likely to cause ructions in the National Assembly at a time when the president is seeking to woo opposition parties following his failure to win an outright majority in June’s parliamentary elections.
After a behind-the-scenes battle the 39-year-old minister was ordered by Macron to postpone his plans. In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper, he said they would instead be the subject of a “consultation” in the autumn, which puts them at risk of being watered down.