The Nice politicians and Nicolas Sarkozy

Deputy Rudy Salles and Vice-President of the PACA Region, Patrick Allemand answer our questions concerning the bombshell that Nicolas Sarkozy dropped yesterday into the political arena.

Nice Première: Nicolas Sarkozy declared that he was considering allowing foreigners present in France for at least ten years to vote in the next municipal elections. What do you think about this?

Patrick Allemand: He continues his pre-election campaign. He has understood that French people of foreign origin represent an interesting electoral niche and, after flattering all communalisms, he is pressing the point. Faced with the announced disaster of the next legislative and municipal elections for the right, he shows imagination. But just because Giscard d’Estaing lowered the voting age to 18 does not mean young people voted for him in 1981.
Furthermore, the ultra-liberal Sarkozy knows that to continue to control labour costs, he must continue to encourage immigration; he had moreover clearly announced this in a speech in Nice a few years ago. He simply wishes to rationalize it so that it corresponds exactly to the needs of MEDEF.
In this context, and only in this context, we must promote the integration of these populations and the right to vote of foreigners settled for a certain time on our territory is one of the tools.

Rudy Salles: For my part, I am not in favour of granting voting rights to non-EU foreign nationals in local elections. Indeed, such a measure would lead to creating a separate category of citizens. This is why I would prefer that the procedure for acquiring French nationality be adjusted so that foreigners who wish to become French can do so. This entails rights but also implies equal duties among all citizens. This seems much more just to me and likely to facilitate integration further.

Nice Première: This right to vote promised by the Left as well as the Greens is now coming from the Right. What are the reasons according to you?

Patrick Allemand: It is true that this is a measure that the left and the greens have advocated for a long time.
At one time, we were blamed for playing into the hands of the National Front whenever we brought it up. We were never able to implement it because of the “protests” from the right every time we mentioned it. However, this is a measure that requires broad consensus so as not to favour the extremes.
As for the reasons for this proposal by our Interior Minister, I have told you, they are both electoral and, in the longer term, in line with the expectations of MEDEF.

Rudy Salles: This measure was proposed by the left. There are now right-wing or centre-wing elected officials who agree with this idea. I believe that in reality this is not a right-wing or left-wing issue but a subject that concerns each of us and on which it is good that there be clear debate. After that, whether one is from the left, right or centre, each person must be able to defend their point of view. But let us avoid dividing the French on such a subject. I think that any change in our legislation on this matter should be consensual so as not to give extremists the opportunity to engage in outbidding.

Nice Première: What was the feeling among the other elected officials you know?

Patrick Allemand: Left-wing elected officials are, more or less, in the positions I have just developed.
I have not had the opportunity to discuss this with right-wing elected officials; there is little chance they would be favourable except among ultra-liberal, and thus Sarkozy-supporting, elected officials.

Rudy Salles: The position of grassroots elected officials I know on this issue is rather hostile.

Nice Première: Could this law have an impact on the next Nice municipal elections?

Patrick Allemand: This election is scheduled for 2008. Will this measure be applicable from this election? Moreover, I know the electorate of the Nice right well and this will prove counterproductive because here, this proposal is one of the reasons that caused the rise of the FN vote from 1983.

Rudy Salles: For the next municipal elections, this proposal should have very little impact. This is a question that has been raised for more than 20 years and nothing indicates that the law could change in this area in the short term.

Nice Première: And finally, what do you think about the fact that this proposal does not concern legislative elections?

Patrick Allemand: The left has never proposed voting rights for foreigners settled in France for more than 10 years for anything other than local elections. This is consistent with a concern for progressive integration of immigrant populations. Nicolas Sarkozy is merely taking up our proposals verbatim, which had, for their part, different motivations than his.

Rudy Salles: Obviously this measure concerns legislative elections in no way. These are national elections and only French people can vote. Even Europeans who can participate in municipal and European elections are not allowed to vote in legislative elections. These are attributions reserved exclusively for French people and no one contests this.

Franck Viano