French Technology Executive Warns Of RN Anti-Immigration Policy Threats Against AI Ambitions

The Le Pen Marine Policy, the leader of the National Rally Party, was criticized by technology practitioners (photo: x @MLP_officiel)

JAKARTA - Senior bosses at France's leading technology company have warned that the immigration restrictions proposed by the far-right party, National Rally (RN), threaten the country's ambition to become Europe's leading AI hub.

After experiencing heavy losses for his Renaissance party in last weekend's European Parliament election, President Emmanuel Macron held a quick election for the lower house of parliament, where the first round was held on June 30 and the second round on July 7.

Macron has made support for domestic technology companies a priority, by making it easier for startups to recruit personnel from abroad, lobbying against EU regulations that are considered too strict, and attracting investment from Amazon and Microsoft.

However, Marine Le Pen-led RN, which is predicted to win the most seats in the election, pledged to reduce the number of migrant workers allowed into France and impose stricter oversight of foreign investment.

This could damage the country's AI ambitions, technology executives say. "I fully agree with concerns about the party's anti-migration attitude," said Julien Launay, CEO of startup AI Adaptive ML. "At the previous two startups where I worked, talented immigration to France was a huge talent driver. Especially students who came to study here, internships with various companies, and finally settled. It was an extraordinary path for young talent."

Camille Lemardeley, director-general of Superprof, a Paris-based education startup, told Reuters that the RN policy could create an environment that is less friendly to international professionals, which could affect the business climate as a whole.

"RN policy platforms include proposals that emphasize stricter immigration control and focus on national preferences in work," he said. "This could have a broad impact on innovation and competitiveness, not only for Superprof, but for the entire French tech ecosystem."

In recent weeks, France has sought to assert its position as the leader of AI, where business and political leaders from around the world attended the annual VivaTech conference in Paris. However, the restrictions proposed by RN on the recruitment of foreign workers could undermine it, according to Hugo Weber, head of public affairs at Paris-based e-commerce firm Mirakl. Weber described the party's policy as "very detrimental" to the French tech ecosystem.

Mirakl, which among other things offers AI-powered solutions for online retailers, relies on investment from global venture capital funds, and the ability to recruit talent from abroad. "I'm concerned about the ability of French startups to continue withdrawing funding, and remains a goal for technology talent, especially in the AI sector," Weber said.

Meanwhile, RN itself did not respond to requests for comment.