A historic vote by French MPs over a French-Algerian treaty may signal the end of ostracisation for far-right proposals in the Assemblée nationale.
It is the first time in the Fifth Republic’s history that a motion brought forward by a far-right MP has passed after being backed by other parties.
French MPs narrowly passed a resolution yesterday (October 30) denouncing the 1968 ‘accord franco-algérien’, a treaty that provides different immigration and residency rules for Algerians in France.
The vote narrowly passed, with 185 MPs in favour and 184 MPs voting against. A significant proportion abstained or were not present.
It was brought forward by the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) during their ‘parliamentary niche’, a slot where non-government parties are given time to dictate the proposals brought forward to the chamber.
All major non-government parties are given parliamentary niches throughout the year, where they can bring forward their own motions. The amount of time they are given is based on the number of MPs they have in the chamber.
The end of the ‘cordon sanitaire’ against the far-right?
The resolution denouncing the treaty is non-binding. It is mostly used to signal discontent with a policy, and will not necessarily lead to further progress. It requires no further action on the part of the government.
However, yesterday’s vote was the first legislation brought forward by the RN to the chamber that has been passed with the support of MPs from other parties.
Several members of the far-right - including MP and party member Marine Le Pen - called yesterday’s vote a “historic victory”. Following the vote MPs of the party gave themselves a standing ovation.
Traditionally, there has been a ‘cordon sanitaire’ around the far-right in the Assemblée nationale, with politicians of all other parties refusing to back motions brought forward by the RN.
The position originally came into force when the party ran as the extremist Front National (FN). It has remained in place despite growing support for the party, culminating in the RN being the largest single party in the chamber following the 2024 legislative elections.
During the 2024 campaign, some right-wing MPs from liberal-conservative Les Républicains broke from the party under Eric Ciotti to ally with the far-right. While the majority of the party refused to do so, this was seen as the first sign of the cordon breaking.
The resultant far-right Union des droites pour la République (UDR) led by Mr Ciotti are the only other party to have openly supported the RN in the chamber since 2024. They form part of the far-right alliance and are themselves ostracised by other groups.
Cordon applies to elections and voting
The installation of the cordon is part of a wider ‘republican front’ promoted against extremist parties in France. It has effectively excluded the group from any parliamentary victory despite its growing size, as all other groups combine to vote against proposals the far-right brings forward.
This ‘front’ extends to elections. It has seen candidates of other parties stand down to ensure the non-far-right candidate will win, or for rival parties to endorse each other in second rounds of voting to prevent a far-right victory.
The recent rise of the far-left under the La France Insoumise has seen some centrist politicians argue the ‘front’ and ‘cordon sanitaire’ be extended leftwards.
However many parties including the Communists, Socialists, and Greens have worked allied with La France Insoumise, including as part of the NUPES and NFP alliances in 2022 and 2024.
Recently, the RN has backed motions of no confidence brought forward by La France Insoumise to topple Prime Ministers Michel Barnier (successfully) and Sébastien Lecornu (narrowly defeated, with Mr Lecornu remaining in power).
However, similar motions brought forward by the RN to oust the prime ministers were not backed by other parties in the chamber, even though they were filed and voted on as part of the same session.
This extreme ostracising against the RN has until now stifled the party’s ability to engage in traditional politics. However, it has also been used to foster growth.
The party has used the position of other groups to promote itself as existing outside of the political elite, drumming up populist support.
Singular achievement?
Despite congratulations among the RN and its allies, it is uncertain whether the cordon has been cut for good, or was temporarily lifted for this specific vote.
The vote passed due to widespread abstention from centrist MPs, and backing from just over half of the right-wing Les Républicains MPs in the Assemblée, with other MPs in the party abstaining.
Left-wing groups voted against the motion, although many were not present during the session and were unable to vote against it.
The French-Algerian agreement has been criticised for several years by politicians across the right, including more traditional right-wing MPs.
The treaty allows Algerians to obtain 10-year residency permits in France. It also allows for family members of those Algerians living in France who have obtained residency rights under the scheme to move with them.
It was initially passed in 1968 to promote reconciliation between France and Algeria following the latter’s independence war, and to aid a labour shortage across France.
Since then however, it has been routinely scrutinised for providing preferential treatment for Algerians.
The vote comes after centrist politicians, including former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, have called for the treaty to be redrafted, although so far the government has not chosen to do so.
Current tensions between France and Algeria are high, with several factors including visa policies and immigration leading to major debates and the expulsion of Algerian diplomats from France.
Suggestions have been made that yesterday’s vote was successful due to its focus on a piece of legislation perceived as old and unpopular, in addition to its legally non-binding status resulting in no change in policy.
Polls currently predict the RN is on course to win the 2027 presidential election, but if a new round of legislative elections were held today, it would fail to reach a majority of MPs.
Failure to win a majority in the Assemblée nationale would force the RN to seek allies among other parties, or hope that other parties would lift the cordon and not remain committed to blocking any attempts to pass laws.
