New Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated on October 19 a break in style with his predecessor Bruno Retailleau, while ensuring continuity on substance. On the show 'Questions politiques,' he pledged to avoid hurtful words and favor integration over assimilation. He vows to be uncompromising toward breaches of republican values.
Laurent Nuñez, former Paris police prefect and government's number two, spoke on October 19 during the show 'Questions politiques' aired on France Inter, Franceinfo, and Le Monde. He explicitly claimed 'a break in form' with Bruno Retailleau, his predecessor at Place Beauvau.
'A break in form? Yes, certainly. I will not have hurtful words. I do not aim to divide society,' Nuñez declared. He insisted: 'There are words I will not use. When you bring up the debate on assimilation... I will never do it. Assimilation is indeed a word in the civil code, but it inevitably refers to the 'integration versus assimilation' debate. I believe in integration. We integrate by respecting republican values and rules.'
Despite this change in tone, Nuñez reassured on policy continuity. 'There is no break on the substance,' he affirmed, promising to continue the line started by Retailleau, and before him by Gérald Darmanin and Christophe Castaner. Note that Nuñez was State Secretary under Castaner from October 2018 to July 2020.
The minister nevertheless warned that he would be 'uncompromising with those who do not respect' republican values, highlighting a balance between firmness and a unifying approach.