French justice minister quits after defying terror bill
Christiane Taubira had criticised a proposal to strip nationality from dual citizens convicted of terrorism.
France’s Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has resigned after objecting to President Francois Hollande’s push to revoke citizenship from convicted terrorists with dual nationality.
President Hollande’s office announced on Wednesday that Taubira, who was often at odds with her government on policy, had resigned.
Her resignation came before a parliamentary debate on the bill that would allow people convicted of terrorism to be stripped of French citizenship in certain circumstances.
Last month Taubira labelled the measure “a fundamental problem in terms of national rights by birthplace”, in an interview with an Algerian radio station.
Parfois résister c'est rester, parfois résister c'est partir. Par fidélité à soi, à nous. Pour le dernier mot à l'éthique et au droit.
ChT— Christiane Taubira (@ChTaubira) January 27, 2016
A devoted leftist, best known for championing the legalisation of gay marriage, Taubira tweeted on Wednesday that “sometimes, to resist is to remain, sometimes to resist is to leave”.
The government statement said her resignation had been accepted and that Jean-Jacques Urvoas, widely known as a strong advocate of the government line on such reforms, would replace her.
The citizenship bill, prompted by the Paris attacks on November 13, is popular among conservatives and the far right but has divided the governing Socialist Party.