I enjoyed this endeavor, I was proud to do the work so many others recoiled from and appreciated the support from the many thousands who donated, wrote in with leads or confided their personal stories stemming from the stupidity of base French-Bashing.

But something lately has not been quite right.

Last year, many French citizens discovered they had become second class citizens. Having a foreign born parent, like myself, meant they could not renew passports or identity documents without proving their foreign born parents had indeed become full fledged French Citizens. At the time, like many others, I alerted my elected officials. The issue seemed to be resolved despite the decree, written by then Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkzoy, still being on the books.

This week, state affairs have taken on a new twist.

French member of parliament, Claude Goasguen, put forth a proposition that would curb the number of dual citizens by stripping them of political rights and keeping a special register of said dual nationals. Being a Citizen of France through my father and a Citizen of Canada by maternal lineage, here I am today, lumped into a new class of sub-citizens of the French Republic.

My Citizens Abroad Assembly Representative (Assemblée des Français de l’Étranger) tried to reassure me yesterday by claiming this proposition had little chance of becoming law despite the fact Claude Goasguen is the head of the parliamentary committee overseeing changes to the citizenship act.

Naturally, I protested the project vociferously using all possible channels, including Goasguen’s Facebook profile. I was quickly excluded and saw all my comments quickly removed.

I now have a sour taste in my mouth. I feel my country’s government no longer considers me – and  millions of others – as full citizens. I have shied away from French internal politics on this site, but I can no longer ignore the fact the UMP party is at the forefront of this nasty cabal.

I wonder how many French expatriates who are dual citizens, or have children with dual citizenship, will remember this next year when they are called to the polls to elect parliamentary members for the first time ?

Marc, dual citizen of France and Canada
Petit fils de poilu et descendant de triple déportés …

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