Will Macronism outlive Macron?
At the end of the following cabinet meeting, Primas, clearly embarrassed, requested a private conversation with the president. She didn't mean to say that Macronism was living out its final days, she told him, she simply wanted to remind people that its champion would not be able to run again in 2027, which would raise the question of "how to rebuild for the future." President Emmanuel Macron proved magnanimous: "We just have to be careful to maintain the balance within the government," which is made up of Macronists, centrists and conservatives.
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Local France
6 hours ago
- Local France
'Rules have changed' - Préfecture confirms they can refuse French citizenship to retirees
Retirees in France have recently begun running into problems with the citizenship applications, with numerous reports of citizenship being refused due to not having sufficient French income. The change appears to be linked to a recent circulaire from the Interior Minister - but now one préfecture has confirmed to The Local that they are indeed treating applications differently, and are routinely rejecting people whose income is mainly derived from a pension from another country. The préfecture of Deux-Sèvres told The Local that the "rules had changed after May 2nd", which is when French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau sent out a circulaire (memo) clarifying how préfectures should process citizenship applications. READ MORE: Why do French ministers love to send 'circulaires'? The spokesperson said: "Each application is subject to an individualised, in-depth, and reasoned review, in accordance with the applicable regulations. "Prior to the circulaire of May 2nd, 2025, naturalisation applications were processed based on a comprehensive and global assessment of the applicant's situation. Advertisement "Thus, retirees receiving only a foreign pension as income could have their naturalisation application accepted, as long as the necessary conditions were generally met. "After May 2nd, the rules changed. In order to assess the applicant's financial independence, income derived mainly from abroad is no longer taken into account (except in very limited circumstances), on the basis that the applicant's centre of interest has not been completely transferred to France. READ MORE: What counts as 'French income' when it comes to citizenship? "Based on this criterion alone, the application for naturalisation may be refused. For practical purposes, people who are refused naturalisation do have legal avenues and time limits for appeal. These are referenced in their notification of rejection." What does this change mean practically? This insistence on French-sourced income would seem - if applied strictly - to make it impossible for people who have retired to France (as opposed to those who worked in France and then retired) to ever gain citizenship. Two foreign retirees who both met the other criteria for French nationality, such as language acquisition and integration in their local community, were denied citizenship by the Deux-Sèvres préfecture on the basis that they did not have sufficient French income. READ MORE: 'Doesn't seem fair' - British pensioners speak out over apparent change to French citizenship rules A circulaire is not supposed to change the law, just clarify how administrative staff interpret it. So far, it is clear that the préfecture of Deux-Sèvres has taken a strict interpretation of the circulaire and has interpreted it as a 'rules change'. This does not mean that other préfectures have taken the same approach, and it is common for variations to exist between préfectures. However, The Local has received reports of other retirees being rejected in recent weeks for the same reasons in the préfectures of Gironde and Haute-Garonne. The Local reached out to the Interior Ministry and other préfectures to confirm whether there has been a change in procedure. Advertisement Meanwhile, several of the retirees who told The Local they were rejected have appealed, which means they may still have a chance of gaining nationality, depending on the interpretation of the administrative court of Nantes. It is also possible that the interior ministry will offer more clarification in the future to préfectures on how to approach retirees with a majority non-French income. Crucially, these changes are being applied to people who made their applications months or sometimes years ago. This is contrary to full legal changes - such as the revised standards for French language levels - which can only be applied to new applications . What did the circulaire say exactly? To clarify, a circulaire cannot change the law, but it can offer 'clarification' for how préfecture staff ought to process citizenship applications. In the third section of the circulaire - titled 'the autonomy of the applicant' - Retailleau instructed staff on what to consider regarding l'insertion professionnelle (professional integration) and le niveau et l'origine des revenues (the amount and origin of income). Retailleau wrote: "You will also, with some exceptions, reject applicants whose income comes mainly from abroad, as this shows they have not completely transferred the centre of their interests to France." Retailleau did not reference any exceptions for retirees, though he did remind préfecture employees not to reject applications with 'insufficient income' if the applicant is ill or disabled. The interior minister also explained that this requirement is to demonstrate 'integration' to France and a long-term commitment to the country. He also wrote: "The applicant's autonomy must be based on proven and sustainable professional integration that provides them with stable and sufficient resources. "This not only demonstrates the stability of their settlement in France, but is also an essential element of their integration into the national community. "The applicant's autonomy must be based on proven and sustainable professional integration that provides them with stable and sufficient resources."
Local France
6 hours ago
- Local France
Macron admits French ‘repressive violence' in Cameroon decolonisation ‘war'
The letter, sent to his Cameroonian counterpart last month, is the latest example of France's efforts under Macron to come to terms with its bloody colonial history. The admission follows an official report, published in January, which said France implemented mass forced displacement, pushed hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians into internment camps and supported brutal militias to quash the central African country's push for sovereignty. The historical commission examined France's role in the years both leading up to and after Cameroon gained independence from France on January 1st, 1960. 'The historians of the commission made it very clear that there was a war in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence of several kinds that continued after 1960,' Macron said in the letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, published by the French presidency. 'It is incumbent on me today to accept France's role and responsibility in these events,' he said. Macron announced the creation of the commission during a 2022 trip to the Cameroonian capital Yaounde. Composed of both French and Cameroonian historians, the 14-person committee looked into France's role in the country between 1945 and 1971 based on declassified archives, eyewitness accounts and field surveys. Most of Cameroon came under French rule in 1918 after the defeat of its previous colonial ruler, Germany, during World War I. But a brutal conflict unfolded when the country began pushing for its independence following World War II, a move France repressed violently, according to the report's findings. Advertisement Between 1956 and 1961, France's fight against Cameroonian independence claimed 'tens of thousands of lives' and left hundreds of thousands displaced, the historians said. Mathieu Njassep, president of the Association of Cameroon Veterans (Asvecam), welcomed Macron's letter but told AFP that France must go further. 'France has committed many crimes in Cameroon. It can pay reparations,' he said, though Macron's letter did not mention the possibility of compensation. For many in France, the war in Cameroon went unnoticed because it mainly involved troops from colonies in Africa and was overshadowed by Algeria's 1954-1962 war of independence. Even after Cameroon gained independence in 1960, Paris remained deeply involved, working closely with the 'authoritarian and autocratic' government of Ahmadou Ahidjo, who stayed in power until 1982. Biya, in office since that year, is only the second president in Cameroon's history. Aged 92 and already the world's oldest head of state, he will seek an eighth term in office in a presidential election in October. Cameroon's opposition is struggling to challenge Biya, who has been accused by groups such as Human Rights Watch of suppressing opponents. Advertisement Cameroon's constitutional court last week rejected the candidacy of opposition leader Maurice Kamto, Biya's main opponent. Macron said that France would facilitate access to its archives so that researchers could build on the commission's findings. He also suggested the creation of a bilateral 'working group' to help monitor progress in ongoing research and education. Macron has taken tentative steps to come to terms with once-taboo aspects of France's historical record, though many argue he has not gone far enough. A 2021 report concluded France bore 'overwhelming responsibilities' in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and a 2020 review examining France's actions during Algeria's war of independence called for a 'truth commission' and other conciliatory actions. Macron has, however, ruled out any official apology for torture and other abuses carried out by French troops in Algeria.
LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
Macron admits France waged a repressive war in Cameroon during its decolonisation
France waged a "war" in Cameroon marked by "repressive violence" during and after the African country's decolonisation in the late 1950s, President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged, in a letter published on Tuesday, August 12. The letter, sent to his Cameroonian counterpart last month, is the latest example of France's efforts under Macron to come to terms with its often-bloody colonial history. The admission follows an official report, published by a historical commission in January, which said that France implemented mass forced displacement, pushed hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians into internment camps and supported brutal militias to quash the central African country's push for sovereignty. The historical commission examined France's role in the years both leading up to and after Cameroon gained independence from France on January 1, 1960. "The historians of the commission made it very clear that there was a war in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence of several kinds (...) that continued after 1960," Macron said in the letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, published by the French presidency. "It is incumbent on me today to accept France's role and responsibility in these events," he said. A bilateral 'working group' Macron announced the creation of the commission during a 2022 trip to the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde. Composed of both French and Cameroonian historians, the 14-person committee looked into France's role in the country between 1945 and 1971, based on declassified archives, eyewitness accounts and field surveys. Macron said that France would facilitate access to its archives so that researchers could build on the commission's findings. He also suggested the creation of a bilateral "working group" to help monitor progress in ongoing research and education. 'Tens of thousands of lives' Most of Cameroon came under French rule in 1918 after the defeat of its previous colonial ruler, Germany, during World War I. Yet a brutal conflict unfolded when the country began pushing for its independence following World War II, a move France repressed violently, according to the report's findings. Between 1956 and 1961, France's fight against Cameroonian independence claimed "tens of thousands of lives" and left hundreds of thousands displaced, the historians said. For many in France, the war in Cameroon went unnoticed because it mainly involved troops from colonies in Africa and was overshadowed by the French fight in Algeria's 1954-1962 war of independence. Even after Cameroon gained independence in 1960, Paris remained deeply involved in its governance, working closely with the "authoritarian and autocratic" government of Ahmadou Ahidjo, who stayed in power until 1982. France's historical record Macron has taken tentative steps to come to terms with once-taboo aspects of France's historical record, though many argue he has not gone far enough. A 2021 report concluded France bore "overwhelming responsibilities" in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and a 2020 review examining France's actions during Algeria's war of independence called for a "truth commission" and other conciliatory actions. Macron has, however, ruled out any official apology for torture and other abuses carried out by French troops in Algeria.
