A draft resolution, sponsored by the centre-left Socialists & Democrats group, the leftist GUE/NGL, the Greens and the liberal ALDE group expresses deep concern at the measures taken by the French authorities to organise the expulsion of Roma who have no legal status.
The resolution, dubbed 'On the expulsion of Roma from France,' urges Paris to suspend immediately all expulsions of Roma, while urging the European Commission and other EU member states to intervene. The resolution also refers to other countries, like Italy, where Roma are facing difficulties.
But a competing resolution tabled by the centre-right European People's Party group and members of the European Conservatives and Reformists group stresses that Roma are subject to rights and obligations.
More diplomatically titled 'On the situation of the Roma people in Europe and violation of the law on freedom of movement,' the draft resolution sets out the conditions needed for a European citizen to stay in another EU country for more than three months.
Both resolutions call for more effective efforts from national governments and EU institutions to integrate Roma.
As MEP Marielle de Sarnez (ALDE, France) told EurActiv in an exclusive interview, in theory there is a chance that the two resolutions could be merged, although she considered that the EPP was unwilling to take this path.
In the absence of such an agreement, the two resolutions will compete against each other, splitting the Parliament in two and leaving the outcome difficult to predict.
De Sarnez said the European Commission had changed its initial firm position vis-à-vis France (EurActiv 26/08/10) following a meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso on 5 September at the Elysée.
The next day, the Commission appeared to play for time, saying that more information was needed before expressing a position (EurActiv 07/09/10).
"Let's not make waves was the message from the Paris meeting," De Sarnez said.
Asked by EurActiv if the tug of war between the two resolutions was not too risky, EPP group leader Joseph Daul smilingly said that one can afford to lose on a resolution from time to time.
Responding to a EurActiv query on the possible outcome of the vote, MEP Marie-Christine Vergiat (France, GUE/NGL) said the four groups had a small majority, although she admitted it would indeed be very tight.
Vergiat said there were 15 to 30,000 Roma in France compared to 850,000 in Spain and 650,000 in Italy, according to NGOs. On this basis, she said that the politisation by Sarkozy of the Roma problem in France was even more unsubstantiated.
Roma were not involved in the ransacking of a police station in Saint Aignan, Central France last July, which was the incident that appeared to ignite the expulsions, Vergiat claimed (EurActiv 29/07/10). "This was a diversion," she said.
To read the interview with French ALDE MEP Marielle de Sarnez in full, please click here.
