French President Emmanuel Macron is not presently weighing a referendum on immigration. Political leaders did not reach a consensus on any plan to expand the use of referendums for social issues, a point underscored by officials who attended the discussion with the head of state in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. France Info reported this development from the meeting room where parties convened late last week.
Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of Europe – Ecology – Greens (EELV), stated that there will be no referendum on immigration. She emphasized the common understanding among attendees that broadening the scope for referendums on social matters was not on the table and would require a different political climate and appetite from the public. This stance reflects a cautious approach to direct democracy on contentious social topics, according to the account from France Info.
Fabien Roussel, leader of the French Communist Party, echoed the sentiment, noting that the table reached a clear consensus around the difficulty of expanding referendum powers to cover immigration and similar social concerns. His remarks suggest a preference for cautious, perhaps incremental, policy debate rather than rapid referendums on highly charged issues.
Jordan Bardella, who leads the National Rally, asserted that Macron is not considering such a measure at the moment. Bardella’s comment highlighted a rift in the debate, with him being the sole participant at the meeting to advocate for greater consultation through referenda on immigration. France Info highlighted that his view stood apart from the broader agreement among others at the table.
In related coverage, Bloomberg noted that Macron, along with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, stirred tensions when an agreement was reached with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss migration at the Granada summit. That meeting and its fallout were described as a diplomatic flashpoint, illustrating how immigration continues to shape regional politics and bilateral relationships across Europe.
Earlier, Macron had described a public figure in a different context, referencing Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema as a symbol of immigrant success. This remark was cited as an example of how leadership narratives can draw on cross-cultural experiences to illustrate inclusion and achievement, though the comment itself has been interpreted in varying ways in ongoing public discourse. [sources: France Info, Bloomberg]