Seven and a half hours of debate and an exam that does not progress, despite the commitments that the Executive boasts about. On Monday night, until midnight, the 577 deputies of the National Assembly continued the first session of discussions regarding the examination of the text on emergency measures for the protection of purchasing power.
On this short text – 20 articles in total for just four main measures – more than 1000 amendments have been tabled. Almost 1916 exactly. And only 535 amendments were considered admissible.
After a first afternoon and a first night of informal discussions, only about fifty of them were considered. At the end of the session, the discussion of the text had not gone beyond the first paragraphs of article 1 on the bonus for sharing the value desired by the government.
“Midnight: the session is adjourned! (…) There are still 480 amendments to be debated!”, concluded on Twitter the LR deputy for the Loire, Dino Cinieri.
The examination of the bill resumes this Tuesday from 9:30 p.m. to midnight, where the good intentions of the Government’s commitment were stopped, that is, in the first line, proving less conciliatory than announced, according to the left.
“starts bad”
At the beginning of the session, however, Bruno Le Maire had opened his arms and listened to the opposition, while the government’s relative majority no longer allows him to maneuver with the same flexibility as before.
On the issue of fuel price reductions, for example -although Monday’s debates failed to make progress on this issue- the Economy Minister said he was “willing to listen to them, to listen to them, to modify our proposals if others are better “.
“For the rest, the discussion is open and I hope it will be constructive,” the Bercy tenant asked in the preamble.
“I hope, therefore, that we can examine them in the most constructive way possible in the coming hours and days. Each proposal can be improved. The majority will be open to all constructive proposals”, he insisted, warning his already agitated listeners, however, a few minutes before the opening of the session: “This being the case, we will not enter into a logic of superiority. it can be bought with billions, it is not financed at the expense of the taxpayer”.
More than six hours of debate later, the result is disappointing, underlined Socialist deputy Jérôme Guedj: “55 amendments examined, none approved (except 4 LREM editorial amendments),” he tweeted overnight. “The engagement promise starts off badly…” he added.
“Smoke Bounty”
It must be said that the first article, which refers to the so-called “Macron” bonuses – exceptional tax-free and desocialized bonuses for employees – tense the opposition. For their first amendment, the Insoumi even asked that it be renamed “Prime enfumage”.
Among the alleged grievances against the measure, LFI stresses that it does not open the door to “any social right -in particular, unemployment or old age coverage-, the premiums configure an artificial deficit in Social Security accounts.” The political formation has already announced that it will not vote on the text. Unlike the National Rally and the LRs, who are more in favor of “compromise” amendments.
In the hemicycle on Monday, the criticism of the Nupes ended up ulcerating the right of the right.
“By refusing to take small steps to make his circus, he shames the working class! (…) We are not here to have fun,” harshly criticized the RN’s vice president in the Assembly, Jean-Philippe Tanguy. “Double vowel” by Bruno Le Maire answered Adrien Quatennens ironically.
While the left opposes, for example, that this bonus -not subject to quotation- be paid to workers who earn “more than 7,000 euros”, the Republic in March and the Republicans vote against it and RN abstains. “Together for the rich!” growled Haute-Vienne MP Damien Maudet. Give “for merit,” replied the LRs.
At 23:55 no opposition amendments were voted on
At 11:55 p.m., the majority had not accepted a single opposition amendment on this article 1. Throughout the session, the Nupes denounced the position of the majority, which they consider closed.
“All the unions demand salaries. And what commitments do you make? What commitments do you build with them? No commitment!” she lashed out at the rebellious Val-de-Marne deputy, Clémence Guette, in the gallery, pointing the finger at the government.
“Liars!” he surpassed Antoine Léaument. “You talk about ‘commitment’ all the time but you turn down EVERYTHING we offer,” he said annoyed.
If the executive’s plan goes as planned, final approval of the “purchasing power” package, after a back-and-forth with the Senate, is scheduled for August 7. But in light of these eventful early discussions, the coming sessions do not look any more peaceful.
Source: BFM TV
