The far-right Rassemblement National (RN) will back a flagship bill of President Emmanuel Macron's government tightening immigration rules, Marine Le Pen said Tuesday, December 19, significantly increasing its chances of being passed by parliament.
"We can rejoice in ideological progress, an ideological victory even for the Rassemblement National, since this is now enshrined into law as a national priority," said the three-time presidential candidate. The RN had previously said it would vote against the bill or abstain. Le Pen, who now leads the RN's lawmakers in the Assemblée Nationale but is widely expected to stand again for president in 2027, described the legislation as a "toughening of immigration conditions".
Her announcement came after a joint parliamentary committee of senators and Assemblée Nationale MPs agreed on a new draft of the bill, which had been rejected without being debated in the Assemblée last week in a major blow to Macron.
"An agreement has been reached by parliament on the immigration text," Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wrote on X.
The bill is now expected to be approved in successive votes Tuesday evening in the Sénat and then the Assemblée Nationale. The bill should be supported by lawmakers from the right-wing Les Républicans party, the RN and members of Macron's majority.
The left has reacted with horror to the prospect of the legislation being passed, with the head of Socialist lawmakers in the National Assembly Boris Vallaud describing it as a "great moment of dishonor for the government".