Prime minister François Bayrou has called for a national debate on immigration and what it means to be French, days after stirring controversy with comments about immigrants 'flooding' France, reports RFI.
Bayrou's call for a national discussion French identity comes in response to comments from justice minister Gérald Darmanin who said that the constitution should be changed to end end current citizenship rights granted to people born in France, known as "jus soli" or "right of soil".
The prime minister said discussion on that topic alone would be "too narrow", calling instead for a wider debate about citizenship.
"It's obvious that this question has been fermenting for years," Bayrou told broadcaster RMC on Friday.
"What does it mean to be French?" Bayrou said. "What rights does it give you? What duties does it demand of you? What advantages do you get? What do you commit to when you become a member of a national community?"