Paris (AFP)

Emmanuel Macron on Monday called his majority and his government to the firmness on immigration, to avoid being "a bourgeois party" that ignores the opinion of popular classes seduced by the extreme right. And to caution on pension reform.

Before some 200 deputies and senators of LREM, Modem and allied parties, as well as the whole of the government, the head of the State specified, for more than one hour, his four priorities - ecology, retreats, work and the "regalien", ie security and immigration, reported participants at this meeting behind closed doors.

Hardening the tone on immigration to 15 days of a parliamentary debate on immigration scheduled for September 30 and October 2, he stressed that "inflows have never been so low in Europe and the demands of "asylum never so high in France".

"We do not have the right not to look at this subject (of immigration) in the face," he said, adopting a much firmer line on this issue when so far he was unrestrictedly defending the right of asylum. "I believe in our right to asylum, but it is diverted from its purpose by networks, people who manipulate.If we do not face it, we will suffer it.What gives? Neighborhoods or the number of minors not Accompanied explodes, "he warned, according to a participant.

According to him, "the question is whether we want to be a bourgeois party or not.The bourgeois have no problem with that: they do not cross it.The popular classes live with," he said.

"The left has not wanted to look at this problem for decades, so the popular classes have migrated to the extreme right, like the three little monkeys: we do not want to watch."

"You have only one opponent in the field: it's the National Front (now National Rally, ed)." We have to confirm this opposition because it was the French who chose it.There are two projects: fall back, scare or build an open but not naive solution, "he concluded.

- "bourgeois party" -

He has also called on his troops to better explain and take their time on the pension reform, without going back.

It will be necessary to "make choices, we will have discussions about the professions for which there are special diets", but "maybe it will take more time.No close anything, do not close anything too soon" he asked.

On ecology, he pointed out mistakes. "We have not managed to set the frame of reference." He regretted not having "had the end of the glyphosate in the 3 years" and judged that the end of the coal plants by 2022 "it was not fast enough".

He also recalled the crisis of yellow vests calling on elected officials to avoid an excess of "arrogance" but also too much "caution that leads to immobility".

"We are coming out of a profound social political crisis, the symptomatic expression of a very deep evil that is still big in society, we have to be cautious," he repeated. "Several categories of the population remain nervous," he warned.

He finally called his majority to the union, while the discussions on the investitures in the municipal shake the alliances, affirming: "What is mortal in politics, it is the division".

"When some say that National Commissions investitures are illegitimate, they forget that they came from," he added, a direct criticism addressed to Cédric Villani, dissident candidate in Paris against Benjamin Griveaux.

Visibly uncomfortable when he was released, he responded to the press that he was "determined to go all the way".

The head of state has however rewarded Richard Ferrand, indicted in the Mutuelles de Bretagne case, a "dear Richard, which we are particularly happy to find at this time."

reb-chl-adc-jmt-leb / ib / gold

© 2019 AFP