The PS plans to deposit a spontaneous motion of censorship against the Bayrou government after the adoption of the budget. The text cannot lead without the support of the RN, but its chances of success are not completely zero.
The Socialist Party (PS) decided as to the censorship of the government of François Bayrou and decided to act in two stages. First step: refuse to vote censorship after the adoption of the 2025 budget by 49.3. Depriving France of budget a second time would amount to conducting the “worst policy” according to Olivier Faure. In Releasethe first secretary of the party explained this decision by the requests of a “multitude of actors (local communities, very small businesses, SMEs …) who need a budget and who cannot afford to wait” . But the choice has a bitter taste for the socialists, including the deputy and spokesperson Arthur Delaporte who recognized since the National Assembly on February 3 that “this budget is not a good budget, however, a budget is needed for France “.
Second step: asserting his opposition to the government of François Bayrou and silencing criticisms coming, essentially, from the rebellious camp. The PS therefore announced to file a spontaneous censure motion, in accordance with article 49.2 of the Constitution, to denounce the policy and certain remarks deemed very right -handed by the Prime Minister. “We will deposit, at the end [de la procédure budgétaire]a motion of censorship, because we oppose this government more broadly, what it represents, what it said last week on the ‘migratory submersion’, and more broadly on all the questioning of the rule of law, social, economic law, the duty of vigilance … “, said Arthur Delaporte.
This motion of censorship, expected for the weekend, should be passed two days later or early next week, promises to be above all symbolic. The PS recognizes itself that the text will have little chance of overthrowing the government. In addition to the PS, all other left forces should support the motion: environmentalists, communists, and even the rebellious. The new Popular Front wishes to see the Bayrou government fall as soon as possible and the rebellious elected officials would find it difficult to justify their abstention after having accused all those not voting to reach the presidential camp. This would never only make 192 votes out of the 289 necessary for censorship the Prime Minister.
The RN does not forbid anything
The PS censorship motion will need the vote of the 124 elected officials of the National Rally (RN) to succeed. However, on the bottom, the motion of censorship will defend ideas contrary to those of the extreme right, therefore difficult to imagine the text supported by the lepenist elected officials. A point underlined by the rebellious deputy Eric Coquerel. Especially since the RN already seems hesitant to vote the motion of censorship on the budget, the president of the party even seems to be opposed to this idea. “I think that in the period in which we are, the French would not take advantage of a new form of instability which could have heavy consequences on the economy,” he said on Europe 1February 4. It remains to be seen whether it talks about instability only linked to the absence of a budget or the upheaval that would cause a new government censorship, less than three months after the previous one.
However, the RN does not forbid anything, not even to vote the PS censorship motion according to the confidences of a relative of Marine Le Pen to Politico. And it would not be the first time that the RN would vote a motion of censorship going against its ideas and signed by the left: that’s how it led to the fall of Michel Barnier.
The PS censorship motion therefore has a little chance of succeeding. The presidential camp knows this and worries: “Socialists must realize that the risk [que le RN vote cette motion] is real, we do not neglect it, “said an executive advisor to Politico. Response from Olivier Faure in Release : “If our motion is adopted, the government will fall, but we will have previously ensured the existence of a budget”. The PS plan would then have worked perfectly.