The French government has expressed concern about the rise of “municipal Islam” and community-based electoral lists as the National Assembly prepares to debate granting voting rights to six million non-European Union foreigners in local elections.
The Interior Ministry currently monitors several dozen towns for explicit community lists whilst remaining vigilant against harder-to-detect entryism strategies, according to conservative weekly Valeurs Actuelles. Officials fear the proposed constitutional amendment would provide further encouragement to such electoral movements.
In Strasbourg, far-left candidate Cem Yoldas, a member of the Jeune Garde Antifasciste (Young Anti-Fascist Guard), printed campaign leaflets in Turkish and Arabic under the guise of multiculturalism, claiming this addressed “all the people of Strasbourg.”
The National Assembly’s legal commission adopted the constitutional bill on 4 February, with plenary debate scheduled for 12 February during the Greens’ parliamentary initiative day. The reform would allow non-EU foreigners residing in France to vote and stand as municipal council candidates, though they would remain barred from becoming mayor.
Left-wing proponents argue the measure would enfranchise individuals who “participate in the daily life of our cities, pay their local taxes, send their children to our schools and contribute to our economy.” The initiative specifically targets the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for 15 and 22 March, though the reform would not apply to this year’s contest even if approved.
The assembly remains deeply divided on the proposal. Right-wing factions and the Rassemblement National are adamantly opposed to the measure, with RN having long called for fundamental immigration law reforms and a migration policy referendum.
Sarah Knafo, Reconquête party candidate in Paris and partner of Éric Zemmour, characterized the left’s strategy as particularly harmful and indicative of political failure. “When you can no longer convince voters, you create new ones,” she stated on X.
Knafo also highlighted the connection between local voting control and national sovereignty preservation: “City councillors elect senators: giving foreigners the vote gives them influence over our laws. That’s a no-no.”
The proposed constitutional amendment represents a parliamentarian-initiated reform, requiring validation by referendum after adoption by both the National Assembly and Senate. This procedural requirement creates a significant hurdle even if the measure passes parliamentary votes.
Right-wing critics note the apparent contradiction in claiming migration policy cannot be subject to referendum whilst the Left pursues constitutional change through this very mechanism. RN representatives have pointed out that political opponents and media consistently argue immigration matters fall outside referendum scope, yet the Green Party’s proposal demonstrates pathways exist to force such votes.
Since 1992, European Union nationals residing in member states of which they are not nationals have possessed the right to vote and stand as candidates in municipal elections and European Parliament elections. The current proposal would extend these rights beyond EU citizens for the first time.
The debate scheduled for 12 February will test the strength of support across the fractured assembly, with the Left securing an initial committee victory but facing substantial opposition from right-wing blocs. Even successful parliamentary passage would trigger the referendum requirement before implementation could proceed.
