[Press Relaese] Results of the legislative elections: "Relief and need for action"

PRESS RELEASE

Relief and need for action

The early legislative elections placed the National Rally (RN) in third place in the National Assembly on this Sunday 7 July. This turnaround is a source of relief and proves an efficient collective mobilisation: no, the far-right will still not come to power in France!

However, we, as elected members of the National Association for Welcoming Cities and Territories (ANVITA), remain very alert in face of this clear progression in the number of RN MPs. Especially since the results of the European elections on 9 June, not a day goes by without an act of racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic or LGBTQIphobic hatred being perpetrated in France. Violence, threats, verbal and physical attacks - the rhetoric of far-right politicians fosters a deleterious environment in our territories. In its latest annual repport in 2024, the CNCDH reported a 42% increase in racist acts and a 282% increase in anti-Semitic acts.

We need to continue to mobilise

As a network of Cities and Territories committed to unconditional welcome and respect for fundamental human rights, we must continue and step up our efforts to push back ideologies that reject others, and to defend an open, welcoming society that guarantees everyone a dignified and decent life. On a broader level, we need to continue to stand up for the values that are the hallmark of our Republic: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Our hospitality projects are a moral duty. At a time when the parliamentary and governmental situation is more than uncertain, local and regional authorities bear the responsibility of guaranteeing that we can live together, and are asking the next government to:

• To return the issue of the reception and integration of migrants to the Ministry of Solidarity, because it is first and foremost a question of solidarity;
• To appoint a High Commissioner for Migration, under the aegis of the future Prime Minister, in liaison with the Ministry of Solidarity: to consider the reception of new populations as a cross-cutting issue on housing, work, etc.;
• To set up a multi-stakeholder National Committee: to recognise the key role played by local and regional authorities in designing and implementing reception and integration policies. An emergency accommodation plan will need to be drawn up and implemented jointly as soon as possible, while stepping up efforts on housing first;
• To start by repealing the law of 26 January 2024 "to control immigration, improve integration": then work on reception and integration conditions by consulting experts (exiles themselves, researchers and local and national players).

Together, united against the far-right

Through ANVITA, the member local authorities and elected representatives are taking their place in the multi-actor mobilisations that have been set up to combat xenophobic discourse and measures that stigmatise foreigners. We will shortly be contacting the newly-elected MPs to offer them our tools and expertise, and to continue tirelessly our work of guaranteeing access to public services and respect for the unconditional rights of everyone present in our territories.

On Sunday 7 July, we won a reprieve. Now it is up to us to turn it into a real victory!

Press contact: Léa ENON-BARON, lea.enon-baron@anvita.fr / 0767711444