The new anti-terrorism and intelligence law was adopted at first reading in the Assembly on June 2, 2021 – Jacques Witt / SIPA
Not hard enough for LR deputies, too “authoritarian” for LFI: the National Assembly adopted on Wednesday evening at first reading a bill strengthening anti-terrorism measures and intelligence. The text, which perpetuates measures inspired by the state of emergency, was voted by 87 votes against 10 and 4 abstentions. He must now go to the Senate.
For the government, this new project in the antiterrorist arsenal reconciles “vigilance” in the face of the threat and “protection” of freedoms, with in particular the concern to avoid censorship of the Constitutional Council. “Terrorism mutates like a dirty virus. (…) It is quite normal that we follow these developments, ”pleaded Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti.
“Missed opportunity”, according to LR
The LR group, which fought for a long time to try to harden this text examined since Tuesday, finally called to vote for “in a spirit of responsibility” even if it considers that it constitutes, according to Eric Ciotti, “a missed opportunity”. On the left, LFI tried unsuccessfully to oppose it with a motion of rejection. The “rebellious” deputy Ugo Bernalicis estimated that with this bill “we are sliding towards an increasingly authoritarian regime”.
Among the socialists, Marietta Karamanli considered that there was “no certainty on the effectiveness” of the proposed measures, but the elected members of the group were free to vote. For LREM Jean-François Eliaou praised a “useful and balanced” text. The bill aims in particular to bring definitively into common law four emblematic but experimental measures of the Internal Security and Fight against Terrorism Act (Silt) of 2017.
bloody attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis on November 13, 2015.
“French Guantanamo”
Security perimeters, closure of places of worship, individual administrative control and surveillance measures (Micas) and home visits: these four administrative police measures followed on from the state of emergency measures, implemented for two years after the bloody attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis on November 13, 2015. In the background, the concern of those involved in the fight against terrorism around the release of prisoners convicted of acts of terrorism.
Announced in the wake of the attack against a police officer in Rambouillet (Yvelines), this new bill was planned for a long time. And nearly a year after the censure by the Constitutional Council of a draft law LREM establishing security measures, the government is proposing two sections of measures to avoid “dry exits”. It has thus chosen to strengthen individual administrative control and surveillance measures by extending them up to two cumulative years for certain ex-prisoners convicted of terrorism.
The project thus provides for the prohibition, for a person under surveillance and assigned in a perimeter of residence, to be present during an event exposed to a particular terrorist risk. In addition to the pitfall of a possible censorship of the Constitutional Council, Eric Dupond-Moretti denounced in the “escalation” of the right the risk of leading to a “French Guantanamo”.