British second-home owners in France could still see visa rules relaxed after Macron's flagship immigration bill defeated

However, earlier this month the amendment was scrapped by the National assembly committee before it was presented to the house on Monday.

Now, the bill has been rejected and the French government have decided to redraft it, rather than withdraw it.

WATCH NOW: King Charles eases tensions with France during state visit

This morning, Macron held a meeting with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, deciding to maintain its bid to pass the bill.

Interior minister Gerald Darmanin, who championed the bill for months, suggested that withdrawing the bill was not an option.

“This text will continue its path in line with the constitution,” he said, adding that a decision would soon be made by the government on the next step.

When Darmanin offered to resign, Macron refused him, instead ordering him to find new ways to push the legislation through.

Now the bill is being redrafted, it is possible that the originally vetoed bid to restore pre-Brexit travel rules for foreign nationals owning property in France, could be reversed.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• French locals beg for change to rules punishing British second home owners after Brexit
• Macron's nightmare: Marine Le Pen hails anti-EU Dutch election win as poll points to victory in France too
• Brigitte Macron gives rare interview on falling in love as a teacher with schoolboy Emmanuel

The bill had been modified for months by Borne’s centrist government, who wanted to ensure it gained enough support from moderate conservatives to override Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally members.

However, MPs from National Rally joined the far-left France Unbowed, far-right Republicans and smaller parties to defeat the government by a close 270 votes to 265.

Those on the left argued that its measures were too repressive, while the right said they were not hard enough.

The Senat, which is controlled by the right, added the second holiday homeowners amendment, before being dropped on December 1.

Martine Berthet, a French senator representing the Savoie area in the Alps, supported changing the rules after receiving complaints from British second homeowners in her region.

She said: “The Britons I have spoken to say that the current system is long-winded, difficult and full of pitfalls.

“Ties are warming between France and the UK following the royal visit – and don’t forget, King Charles reserved his only official speech for the French Senate.

“The British are privileged partners of France. History has shown this to be the case.”

Macron’s government said that it would not back the amendment, arguing that current legislation makes it already possible for British second homeowners to stay longer than 90 out of 180 days.

Post-Brexit, UK citizens can no longer stay in France for long periods of time visa-free.

They must abide by the 90-day visa rule, which affects citizens who are not in an EU or Schengen zone country.

It states that non-EU/Schengen visitors can only spend 90 days out of every 180 in the EU without applying for a visa.

If they wish to stay longer, they must apply for a short-stay visa.

The rejected amendment would have restored pre-Brexit travel conditions for second-home owners in France.

However, MPs chose to scrap the proposed revision, with the application to cancel it stating: “The automatic granting of a long-stay visa based solely on property ownership could be perceived as favouring a category of people because of their financial situation, creating inequality in relation to other foreign nationals who have to follow a more rigorous procedure to obtain such a visa.”

However, now the bill has been defeated, questions are rising as to what the next draft will look like.

Le Pen called the bill’s defeat “an extremely powerful rejection” and “a disavowal of Macron’s ‘at-the-same-time’ leadership, which is a real political swindle”.

She said: “Its true face has been exposed.”