To set the concubinage between macronists and philippists to music, we hesitate. Claude Nougaro, There’s a storm in the air, there’s water in the gas ? ; or Claude François, in a medley of It goes and it comes back And As per usual ? One thing is certain, on the other hand, after eight months of sitting side by side, Renaissance and Horizons have not become particular partners, as their short common history is peppered with mutual suspicions and areas of turbulence. And, in full examination of the pension reform, the majority, supposed to show the greatest solidity, would have done well without a new hitch which again brought out, on one side or the other, a few names of birds. The fault, Wednesday, February 15, with a bill brought by the Vice-President of the National Assembly Naïma Moutchou within the framework of the Horizons niche…
Previously, it must be said that in this little game of emotional roller coaster, the two allied camps were, lately already, not at the top of the rollercoaster. Of the three groups loyal to Emmanuel Macron’s program, Edouard Philippe’s troops have long been the most rebellious vis-à-vis pension reform; certain elements, like Yannick Favennec or Thierry Benoit, affirming that they would not vote for the text as it stands. Moreover, the two elected are those who in the majority, since the beginning of the legislature, have voted the least with Renaissance. Even if the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt confides that “President Laurent Marcangeli is absolutely impeccable on pensions”, this makes an – irritated – pillar of the Macronist group say that Horizons “is full of personalities that no one can channel “. “After a while, you have to say things: Benoit and Favennec are not in the majority, let them go to Liot, let them go where they want, but we will never catch up with them again”, sweeps a other leader. Edouard Philippe had to work to whistle the end of recess and invite his people to reduce the sails on the sidesteps.
The accusation of disloyalty faces that of ill-treatment. At irregular intervals, the parliamentarians of the Horizons group reveal their feeling of being left behind by the majority: not listened to enough, not respected enough… In short, the ugly ducklings covered by the protective wing of the best enemy of Emmanuel Macron. Tuesday morning, Laurent Marcangeli and his flock wanted to question, in the context of questions to the government, Elisabeth Borne on the subject of long careers. Refusal, polite, from Matignon. A few hours later in the hemicycle, it is Véronique Louwagie, doctor es pensions of the Republicans, which takes care of it and allows Borne to make a new small concession to the right. “We understand politics a little, all you had to do was tell us, it was not worth taking us for fools…”, grumbles a philippist.
“Humiliation”, “casus belli”…
The ground was therefore ready for the pressure cooker to explode on Wednesday. The deputy of Val-d’Oise Naïma Moutchou presents before the Law Commission the “abrasive” proposal, she says, that she is carrying within the framework of the Horizons parliamentary niche: the establishment of a minimum sentence of one year’s imprisonment in the event of a repeated attack against a person contributing to a mission of general interest (police officer, carer, magistrate, teacher, etc.). A measure which is reminiscent of the macronists of the minimum sentences of a certain Nicolas Sarkozy and which, for several weeks, has enraged not only the deputies but also the Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti. The Keeper of the Seals even explained it Tuesday morning in a Renaissance group meeting, pointing out the inefficiency of such a system. “Edouard said himself for five years that it was bullshit, it’s incomprehensible, blows one of the bosses of the Renaissance group. The truth, it’s simple, it’s clear: they simply want to make us sweat.” You will understand that the terms have been slightly softened…
After having defended herself against the attacks of the deputy MoDem Erwan Balanant, the elected Renaissance Caroline Abadie and the president of the Law Commission Sacha Houlié, Naïma Moutchou saw, as expected, the deputies of Nupes propose amendments to delete of the measure. What was less predictable, however, is that his Renaissance comrades all abstained when voting for them, two even voted for, instead of opposing the left. Result: with 19 votes against 14, the deletion amendment was adopted. “It is not a popular measure, it is a populist measure, assures the Renaissance Ludovic Mendès. We are not going to vote against a deletion amendment when we have said, from the start, that we will vote against the article. They torpedoed themselves!”
Stupor and anger in the ranks of Horizons. “Everything suggests that this commission was an ambush,” said a philippist. “I have been asking for several weeks to speak to colleagues in a Renaissance group meeting, I have not heard back. The method therefore questions me, indicates Naïma Moutchou. Normally, when it comes to a text by a group of the majority, we let the debate take place!” In the group, we are already talking about “cinema”, a “humiliation” skilfully prepared by the macronists, even a “consummate break”. President Laurent Marcangeli even used the term “casus belli” in front of his comrades. Obviously annoyed, the ex-mayor of Ajaccio has, as revealed by Politico, posed a rabbit Wednesday evening to Eric Dupond-Moretti who had invited him to dinner at the Ministry of Justice… Be careful, love stories generally end badly. Especially when they didn’t start so well.