Following Germany’s announcement it will reintroduce border controls, the Mayor of Nice declared he would support a similar policy between France and Italy.
Olaf Scholz’s left-wing coalition government made a formal commitment to reintroducing identity checks at Germany’s borders. This move was prompted by public outrage in Germany following the recent terrorist attacks. Since Monday, September 16th, border controls have been restored all along the German border, for a renewable period of six months.
In France, the arrival in power of a centre-right government led by Michel Barnier has put the debate on immigration back centre stage: “Immigration, a major challenge for Michel Barnier,” was the headline in Le Figaro on Wednesday, September 18th. It is against this backdrop that Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice on the Côte d’Azur, issued a statement urging the new prime minister to tackle the issue of illegal immigration head-on:
The fight against smugglers and activists who exploit the misery and despair of migrants for financial gain or to ease their conscience must be an absolute priority for the new government.
In his statement, he pointed to the scourge of drug trafficking in his department of the Alpes Maritimes, 70% of which is in the hands of underage migrants. “Throughout Europe, our partners are stepping up their efforts to combat illegal immigration. France must play its full part,” he added, referring implicitly to the latest choices made by the German government.
Since 2022, the mayor of Nice has been adopting “death of Schengen” arguments, while calling for greater firmness in dealing with illegal immigration. His September 17th statement is in line with his local experiences—while demonstrating a certain political incoherence of his own.
Christian Estrosi is a former member of the Les Républicains party who chose to join Emmanuel Macron. His main rival in the city of Nice is Éric Ciotti, now an ally of the Rassemblement National, whose “right-wing excesses”—particularly on the issue of immigration—he has criticised. Today, the pressure of the facts is finally forcing him to bring his position on migration closer to that of his local opponent.
