The French were outraged at the weekend by the news of the discovery of the body of student Philippinne, buried in the Bouloňské lesík. In connection with the case, on Tuesday, the police in Switzerland detained a Moroccan, who was previously ordered by the authorities to leave French territory.
“In the face of this tragedy, which was preceded by many others, we cannot just condemn (the act) or get angry,” Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau said on the X network on Tuesday. According to him, it is the task of public officials to ensure the improvement of the administration of justice and to protect the safety of the French. “If the rules need to be changed, let’s change them,” added the minister.
According to the French media, Retailleau is one of the most right-wing ministers of the current government, which includes representatives of the bloc parties of President Emmanuel Macron and the right-wing Republicans. These two formations are far from having the majority of votes in the lower house of parliament, and the government’s ability to act depends on the possible support of MPs from the strongest left-wing bloc or the nationalist National Association (RN) of Marine Le Pen.
“It is time for this government to act. Our compatriots are angry and words will not be enough for them,” said RN head Jordan Bardella.
Le Pen has previously stated that the government’s support from the association will depend on how the cabinet approaches the RN’s priorities, which include making conditions for the arrival of new immigrants in the country more difficult and favoring native French.
At his inauguration on Monday, Retailleau declared that his priority was to “restore order” in the country. According to AFP, he is known for his strict stance on immigration. In connection with the pressure from the RN, Green MP Sandrine Rousseau warned that the murder of the student should not become an excuse for “spreading racial hatred”.
The Moroccan detained after the murder had previously been in a French prison for rape and was to be deported from France. However, at the beginning of September, the judge allowed his conditional release from the detention center, where the man was awaiting deportation, which was delayed due to administrative delays.
