France Proposes Changing Constitution to Further Curtail Rights, Remove Citizenship

By teleSUR

28 December 15

The government confirmed it will defend the proposal, despite strong criticism emerging within its own ranks.

rime Minister Manuel Valls informed Wednesday that his cabinet will introduce legislation in Congress that will strip French citizens with double nationality of their French one, “in case they committed a terrorist crime or harmed the nation’s interests.”

French President Francois Hollande had already evoked the measure during his war-like speech at Versailles, three days after the Paris terror attacks, taking even the social-democrats by surprise. Leftist leaders, including from the governing party, fiercely criticized the initiative for being a measure the far-right National Front defended for a long time.

Valls admitted the “constitutional legislation for the nation’s protection” was only “symbolic” and did “not claim to be efficient.” For instance, out of the seven assailants of the Paris terror attacks, only two would have been affected by the measure (Bilal Hadfi, who also had a Belgian passport, and Ismael Mostefai, a Moroccan one).

Congress will start debating the measure from Feb. 3. However, many of the governing party leaders, along with the radical left (FdG) and environmentalists (EELV), strongly criticize it.

Among them, Jean Luc Melenchon, former presidential candidate for the Left Party, denounced “another communication move, at the expense of the most consistent republican principles … I think with emotion about the sadness and the fear of all of those who are pointed to as potential suspects with this measure,” he told L’Humanité.

The minister of justice, who was very critical of the measure when it was first evoked in November, will now be in charge of presenting it to the Congress. Christiane Taubira had said it raised an important question of “the right of citizenship on the ground of the territory you are born on (as opposed to the blood you come from), which is a fundamental pillar in French history of community-building.”

“The government prefers Marine (Le Pen) to Christiane. Another ideological victory.” Florian Philippot, National Front’s vice president.

“A capital victory for the patriotic faction. We won the battle of ideas! #Taubira.” Robert Menard, far-right mayor and former head of Reporters Without Borders.

“Stripping nationality: first effect of the 6.8 million votes for the National Front at the regional elections.” Marine Le Pen, president of the National Front.

The measure was first defended by Marine Le Pen’s father and founder of the far-right party, until former President Nicolas Sarkozy put the idea back on the table in 2010. During a public speech in Grenoble, Sarkozy then suggested the possibility of denying minors with double nationality French citizenship when they reached 18 years of age, depending on their criminal records. “This is a war we decided to wage against traffickers and delinquents,” he said, referring in particular to suburban youth.

A couple of months later, he raised the possibility of removing French nationality “from anyone with foreign origins who voluntarily assaulted a police officer, an army officer, or any other state official.” The governing Socialist Party then strongly opposed the idea during the campaign for the presidential elections.

According to the internal affairs ministry, eight people have already been stripped of their nationality since 2000 over alleged terrorist charges—not one however, was under Sarkozy.