Bruno Le Maire took advantage of Monday evening an executive office of the presidential party Renaissance to deliver recommendations beyond his ministerial perimeter. Speaking the day after LR presented proposals on immigration, the Minister of Economy and Finance invited Macronists to be "clear on migration policy". "Our compatriots expect firmness, firmness and firmness. So let's be basic: let's be firm," hammered the number two of the government, according to comments reported in Le Figaro.
" READ ALSO Embarrassment of the executive around the proposals of the Republicans on immigration
For several months the executive has been procrastinating on the contours of the immigration bill it aims to pass. The absence of an absolute majority in the National Assembly forced him to reach a compromise with the right. But the prime minister refuses to unbalance the initial text, which provides for regularizations for undocumented workers in sectors in recruitment tension. The proposals made Sunday by the Republicans go against the positions of the Macronists, in particular by advocating to end the primacy of treaties and European law.
"Let's be offensive, clear and responsible"
"Firmness does not mean that we are going to do things contrary to European law or the Constitution. Firmness means: a foreigner in an irregular situation must leave, a foreigner must speak French if he wants to come to France," insisted Bruno Le Maire during his speech. "Everything that Gérald Darmanin defends in short," slipped the Minister of the Economy, while his colleague from Beauvau is more going than the majority to achieve a "strong text". The latter is due to start further consultations shortly before presenting a new text in July to the Council of Ministers.
"Let us not be accused of being lax or angelic. Let's be firm, without excessive words, without populism, without being contrary to our identity, "continued the tenant of Bercy, in a rare political offensive at a time when the majority is wondering about the course to follow. "Let's be offensive, clear and responsible," he said.
"A minister is a good minister when he has results"
If he grants the point to Gérald Darmanin on immigration, Bruno Le Maire does not fail to call to order his rival on the budgetary field. "We have to stop the extra spending and that goes for all ministers. A minister is a good minister when he has results, not when he spends more," said the Minister of the Economy, while his colleague from the Interior is reluctant to propose savings in his 2024 budget, as Matignon demands. Gérald Darmanin was not present in the room.
"Today, we must accelerate the deleveraging of the France because otherwise we will pay the price of the rise in interest rates; We will pay billions to repay the debt burden when we need it for the ecological transition. We will lose credibility," said Bruno Le Maire, three weeks after the downgrading of the financial rating of the France by the Fitch agency.
Although the recent spending announced by the executive questions about the effective end of the "Whatever it costs", Bruno Le Maire proclaimed Monday night that the macronists embody "the party of responsibility. It is not LR that will do it, they always propose additional expenses. It's not the Nupes either. And that's not the RN." And to turn to the officials present: "I need you. This responsibility is part of our DNA. Our majority must carry this message and make it a beautiful political object."