FRANCE: Sarkozy ally gets slapdown from prime minister
Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, who has made waves for a crackdown on Gypsies and is appealing a conviction for a racist slur, is under fire from the prime minister for criticising the “disproportionate” sentencing of seven police officers. Read More
EUROPEAN UNION: EU to drop legal threat against France over Roma expulsions
EU justice chief Viviane Reding will recommend that the European Commission drop a threat of legal action against France over its Roma crackdown after the French government vowed to change national legislation, an EU official has said. Read More
FRANCE: Lower house votes to strip foreign-born criminals of nationality
France’s lower house passed a bill to strip foreign-born citizens convicted of attacking public officials of their French nationality, and expel EU citizens for certain crimes, part of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s continuing crackdown on crime. Read More
FRANCE: EU to launch legal action against France over Roma
EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has told FRANCE 24 that Brussels will launch legal proceedings against France for breaching EU rules on freedom of movement during the country’s much criticised crackdown on Roma communities. Read More
FRANCE: Senate rejects Sarkozy crackdown on first-time offenders
The judiciary committee of the French Senate has rejected several amendments to a revised national security bill, which were tabled as part of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign to toughen punishments for lawbreakers. Read More
FRANCE: Week of unrest kicks off with Roma crackdown protest
At least 10,000 protesters marched through the streets of Paris Saturday to rally against the government’s crackdown on immigrants and the recent expulsion of hundreds of Roma. Police are bracing for more protests in the coming days. Read More
FRANCE: Week of unrest kicks off with Roma expulsions protest
At least 10,000 protesters marched through the streets of Paris Saturday to rally against the government’s crackdown on immigrants and the recent expulsion of hundreds of Roma. Police are bracing for more protests in the coming days. Read More
FRANCE: French government deports hundreds more Roma
France’s controversial deportations of Roma migrants continued apace on Thursday as Romanian officials discussed the French government’s crackdown on illegal immigrants during talks in Paris. Read More
DIPLOMACY: France and Romania agree to cooperate on Roma
Two Romanian ministers were in France Wednesday at a time of unease between the two countries over President Sarkozy’s crackdown on Roma in France. The countries have agreed to closer cooperation on reintegration of Roma into Romanian society. Read More