President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday (December 20th) that the immigration law adopted on Tuesday by Parliament constitutes "a shield that we lacked" and assured that he respects the decision of Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau to resign.

"I respect (his decision) and I also have a lot of respect for all the deputies of the majority who voted a law that was not a law whose provisions they liked," said the head of state on France 5.

Emmanuel Macron said he was in favour of the new immigration law and wanted to "calm people's minds" after the political crisis triggered by the adoption of the text the previous evening in Parliament. "What matters to me is to be useful to the French people" and to "respond to challenges," the head of state said. "We have the right to ask ourselves questions, but we also have to take responsibility," he said.

More information to come.

With AFP and Reuters

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