Adopted by the European Parliament this Tuesday, the content of the immigration pact triggered tensions between members of the National Rally and Reconquest.
On Wednesday April 10, 2024, the pact on migration and asylum was adopted with forceps by the European Parliament. The text based on a proposal from the Commission in September 2020 provides in particular for reinforced border controls, a compulsory “filtering” system prior to the entry of a migrant into the European Union, greater solidarity from Member States to welcome refugees and, finally, a specific mechanism in the event of a migration crisis which notably echoes the massive influx of Syrian refugees in 2015. A vote which apparently triggered some tensions between several political figures positioned at right on the French political spectrum.
“Jordan, I don’t know if you’re lying or if you’re incompetent”
Two months before the European elections, the dispute is burning between Nicolas Bay and Jordan Bardella. While the second was the guest of CNews after the adoption of the “pact” by the European Parliament, the first, vice-president of Reconquête (Eric Zemmour’s party), attacked the president of the National Rally in a tweet on Tuesday April 10: “Jordan Bardella has such little mastery of European issues that he makes people believe that the Migration Pact is only one text when it includes 10. I voted against 7 of them. them and the RN against 8 of them”.
Jordan, I don’t know if you’re lying or if you’re incompetent. This filtering at external borders does not prevent migrants from being pushed back since they do not enter European soil. This is the very principle of repression. 5 years in office and still no knowledge of the subject. https://t.co/o09jU3JMwu
— Nicolas Bay (@NicolasBay_) April 10, 2024
A remark which did not fail to make the head of the RN list react to the next Europeans scheduled for June 9, 2024: “Nicolas Bay, you voted, with LR, for a text, “Filtering”, which prohibits prior repression of migrants and therefore requires their automatic treatment on European soil. Not me. Take responsibility for it before the voters, as I take responsibility for my vote.” Enough to attract the wrath of Nicolas Bay, who replied, once again on “no refoulement of migrants since they do not enter European soil. This is the very principle of refoulement. 5 years in office and still no knowledge of the subject.”
“I don’t know what the little political maneuver is behind this”
This Wednesday, April 11, Marion Maréchal Le Pen, head of the Reconquest list in the European elections, spoke to France Info about the famous “filtering” measures included in the pact. “I am very surprised by Jordan Bardella’s statements, what he says is a lie. He criticizes us for having voted for this measure even though his own group voted for this measure in the Commission. They finally gave up on voting for it in plenary when it is the same text, it is very surprising. These arguments which are supposedly those of preventing the refoulement of migrants, are factually false. I do not know what the little political maneuver is behind that, it’s very curious,” she said.