Bruno Retailleau, the president of France’s centre-right party Les Républicains (LR), has outlined a tougher immigration platform as he seeks to win over right-wing voters, especially National Rally (RN).
In an interview with the right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles, Retailleau argued that immigration has become a liability rather than an asset for France.
“Immigration is not an opportunity but a burden; it costs us far more than it brings us,” he said.
Retailleau argued that “Africa’s future lies not in Europe, but on the African continent”.
He rejected the idea that climate change could justify large-scale migration to Europe or “serve as a pretext for a change in civilisation”.
The LR leader also reiterated his support for holding a referendum on immigration. He did not, however, specify what question would be put to French voters.
In his interview, Retailleau criticised the Spanish government led by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over its decision to regularise undocumented migrants.
Spain’s controversial migrant regularisation programme has attracted close to 1.3 million applications, far exceeding the government’s initial prediction of around 500,000.https://t.co/9C23t7tZ0O
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) June 30, 2026
Calls for referendums on immigration have become morecommon across Europe. In Switzerland, voters were recently asked to decide whether to cap the country’s population at 10 million through the so-called “Sustainability Initiative” which was ultimately rejected by 54 per cent of voters.
He vowed to push for changes to EU rules so that humanitarian or territorial visas would only be valid in the member state that issued them.
On citizenship, just like Jordan Bardella, Retailleau called for the abolition of France’s birthright citizenship rules.
“As for birthright citizenship, I’m in favour of abolishing it,” he said arguing that birthright citizenship was based on the assumption that immigrants and their children would assimilate into French society.
“That process no longer works,” he explained.
The former interior minister also vowed to “drastically reduce” family reunification and tighten access to France’s welfare system.
“Similarly, I will put an end to automatic benefits for foreigners arriving in France: they will have to wait five years of legal residence and employment to be eligible,” he said.
Many of Retailleau’s proposals echo long-standing positions advocated by the National Rally, particularly on welfare eligibility and immigration controls, suggesting ahis n effort to appeal to voters on the Right of the political spectrum.
He also appeared to leave the door open to future parliamentary cooperation with the RN. If elected President, Retailleau said he would have “no objection” to National Rally lawmakers supporting his reforms on immigration or criminal justice.
Since taking over the leadership of Les Républicains, the successor to the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) founded under former president Jacques Chirac, Retailleau has been pushing to steer the party in a more hardline direction on immigration, identity and law and order.
