France's new interior minister vows immigration curbs in rightward shift

By Gabriel Stargardter and Benoit Van Overstraeten

PARIS (Reuters) -France is likely to see much tougher immigration and security measures to reflect a broad rightward shift in society, its new interior minister said in remarks hinting at the minority government's dependence on the tacit support of the far right.

Bruno Retailleau's calls for a harsher line on asylum claims, violence against police, prison sentences, radical Islam and drug trafficking underline the sway of Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) on the newly installed government.

After a June election in which President Emmanuel Macron's centrist government suffered heavy losses, the ascendant RN gained kingmaker status, signalling tacit support for Michel Barnier's new coalition between centrists and conservatives.

But the RN reserved the right to withdraw its backing for Barnier's government if its concerns over immigration, security and other issues were not addressed.

Retailleau, 63, a veteran of the mainstream conservative Republicans (LR) party and a longtime sceptic of immigration, gave few details of his vision for the powerful interior ministry during Barnier's first cabinet meeting on Monday.

But he has since been more explicit in a series of press interviews, telling Le Figaro daily that he would unveil new measures within weeks, and that France "must not refrain from strengthening our legislative arsenal".

"My objective is to put a stop to illegal entries and to increase exits, particularly for illegal immigrants, because one should not stay in France when one has broken in," he was quoted as saying by Le Figaro.

"I will have the opportunity, in the coming weeks, to make specific proposals," he said, while also leaving open the possibility of using decrees. "The interior minister has significant regulatory powers. I will use them to the maximum."

Echoing comments by RN officials, Retailleau told CNews on Tuesday that France and other like-minded European nations should join forces to compel the European Union to toughen its immigration laws.

PUBLIC SENTIMENT SHIFTS RIGHTWARD

He said neighbouring Germany's decision to impose temporary border checks, suspending decades of largely free movement within the EU's Schengen travel zone, underscored how European views on immigration were shifting rightward.

"I think we must forge an alliance with the major European countries that want to toughen up, and have already toughened up, their legislative arsenal to change European rules."

Speaking to TF1 television, Retailleau said he would summon prefects - regional representatives of the interior ministry - from the 10 regions with the highest immigration numbers to tell them "to expel more, to regularise less".

He also pledged to consult with North African nations about having them stop more undocumented migrants from heading to France, and said he wanted harsher prison sentences for lawbreakers.

"To close Islamist mosques or expel hate preachers (in France), my hand will not tremble," he told Le Figaro.

Asked by CNews if he relied on the political goodwill of the RN, Retailleau said: "I depend on the goodwill of the French."

But he acknowledged that voters had sent a clear message in the first round of this summer's legislative election, in which the RN came first with around a third of votes. A leftist alliance ultimately won the most seats in the second round, thanks to a legislative pact to keep the far right out of power.

"The French, too, have given us their roadmap. We must listen to the message they gave us ... They want more security and less immigration. I will apply this roadmap."

(Writing by Gabriel Stargardter; editing by Mark Heinrich)