We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again.

France has failed to rise to the migration challenge. As for the European Union, if it continues to do nothing [to solve the crisis], it will implode

She told Le Journal du Dimanche: “France has failed to rise to the migration challenge. As for the European Union, if it continues to do nothing [to solve the crisis], it will implode.”

The mayor also slammed French President Emmanuel Macron’s tough new immigration and asylum policy, saying she found the government’s hardline stance towards immigrants “hard to fathom”.

She said: “The president describes himself as very pro-European, and yet on the refugee issue, France has failed to live up to expectations.”

Mrs Hidalgo added Mr Macron’s predecessor and former mentor, François Hollande, had a more “pragmatic” and humane approach to the migrant problem.