Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the La France insoumise (LFI) party, has strongly criticized French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau for his repeated attacks on Algeria, emphasizing that immigration issues should be addressed by the Foreign Minister.
During an anti-racism and far-right meeting in Brest, northwest France, on Wednesday, Mélenchon expressed his outrage at Retailleau’s involvement in matters that fall under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Minister. “Creating tensions with Algeria serves no purpose,” he stated, particularly condemning the Interior Minister’s discussion of retaliatory measures that would restrict movement between the two countries.
“In what world do you live? Are you unaware that one in four French people has a foreign grandparent? When I was a child, it was one in ten. You are discussing our families, Mr. Retailleau,” he exclaimed.
Mélenchon rebuked the minister’s apparent intention to prevent family members from visiting one another. “You view anyone from North Africa as an enemy, as someone who presents a problem,” he asserted. “We will not permit this—categorizing French citizens based on their origins, allowing or denying them family lives according to arbitrary criteria; Mr. Retailleau will not decide that,” he declared emphatically.
“We will not resolve problems in this manner. We must evolve with the times. The colonial era is over. We do not issue orders to others,” he argued.
Just hours before Mélenchon’s speech, fellow party member David Guiraud criticized the Interior Minister’s actions in the French Parliament. “You have evidently confused your ministry by only focusing on external matters, particularly concerning Algeria. However, the enforcement rate of OQTFs (Obligation de quitter le territoire français) for Algeria is comparable to that of Morocco, Tunisia, or Mali, indicating that you are not advocating for the French people, but rather for your own interests,” he remarked.
Two days prior, Mathilde Panot, the head of the LFI parliamentary group, also condemned Bruno Retailleau for his disparaging remarks about Algeria, labeling him a “troublemaker” for taking on responsibilities outside his purview. The representative from Val-de-Marne emphasized that Retailleau is “neither the Foreign Minister nor the President of the Republic,” thereby exceeding his authority.
