Immigration law: Edouard Philippe defends ‘compromise’ text that is ‘in line with our values’

“This is a compromise text between the Republic of Lithuania and the majority,” reacted Eduard Philippe, a guest on the Quotidien show on TMC on Wednesday, regarding the immigration bill passed in parliament the day before. The president of the Horizons party, a former member of the LR who joined Emmanuel Macron in 2017, “does not believe at all” in a compromise with the National Rally.

“RN is not in the compromise that was discussed. He’s not in the Senate. There are two senators from RN in the Senate,” the former prime minister explained. “I believe that this compromise text does not change the essential elements, in my opinion, of the Republican Pact” and that “it creates the tools that we need. Therefore, I accept the compromise,” insisted the mayor of Le Havre, also believing that this law “is in line with our values.”

“I have always said that I am for” and even “extremely attached to the National Medicare” (AME). “I don’t like measures to revoke citizenship.” But “I do not believe that even with measures that I am not entirely happy with, this text deserves to be rejected,” he said. Asked about the deposit required of foreign students, which he had just defended at the very moment Emmanuel Macron said it was “not a good idea,” Edouard Philippe replied: “That’s the problem with compromise texts.”

Philip admits “discomfort” in most

– But what do you want me to tell you? (…) I wouldn’t fight about it,” but “I accept the fact that the deputies of my group voted for it.” If he acknowledges the “discomfort” of the majority, the former prime minister believes that “the Parisian political world, the parliamentary world, the surrounding media world… We will say that it sometimes loses its temper and overreacts. »

“My intuition is that a fairly large majority of the French agree with the objectives that were protected by this law, in my opinion, with the balance that it tried to maintain and probably with the compromise that we reached,” he added.

Next, to the question: are you a macronist? Edouard Philippe defined himself as “a faithful member of the majority, possessing a freedom of tone that he values.” So, not a macronist? “No… So, I created my own party. I support the majority, I respect the president, I support the president and agree with him on this text. »