For the first time in more than 20 years, the National Assembly voted for a motion to reject the immigration bill. A text that the Minister of the Interior had been working on for a year. He saved it in the Senate and the Assembly blocked it before even discussing it in public session. A snub for Gérald Darmanin. The Minister of the Interior submitted his resignation to the President of the Republic who refused it but the blow is hard for the tenant of Place Beauvau.
He was heavily involved to the point of making this text, desired by candidate Macron, his own object. A few weeks ago, he swore he would take defeat. “ Losing on this text is always better than 49-3 because at least it’s democracy “, he confided to journalists.
But lose on a motion to dismiss This is another thing. “ The Minister of the Interior is disowned and must draw the consequences », Confided to us after the vote the First Secretary of the PS Olivier Faure.
In his camp, we play down the drama and assure us that nothing serious has happened. “ I don’t see it as a slap in the face. The text will continue its journey in CMP and will eventually succeed “, a member of the majority told us.
On the side of the centrists in the Senate, it is estimated that Gérald Darmanin “ is at the bottom of the seal but combative » adding that “ for the moment, he has not lost the game but he has taken a hit to his morale “.
The arrogance of Gérald Darmanin
LR deputies criticize him for his attitude. Many did not appreciate the behavior of the Minister of the Interior during the examination of the text in the law committee but also during the group’s parliamentary niche last week. “ The trigger for the vote on the rejection motion for right-wing elected officials was the arrogance of Gérald Darmanin », Analyzes the president of the Republicans Eric Ciotti who has asked to now negotiate directly with Élisabeth Borne.
Same story on the RN side where a member explains that “ even if it was very violent » for the minister, “ no pity for him given his condescension ». This failure adds to her record.
What could be the future of the Minister of the Interior? ?
Elected officials from all sides emphasize that Gérald Darmanin “treats” them, as they say in politics. Several deputies indicated that the tenant of Beauvau had called them the day after the vote on the text in the law committee to thank them. A gesture appreciated. The environmentalist MP Sandrine Rousseau emphasizes that “ the Minister of the Interior was very strong in the Law Commission and that he does what the Prime Minister does not do “.
But for a majority MP, if he hoped to one day be Prime Minister, “ he burned his cartridge “. Gérald Darmanin, whose head of state refused to resign, is not down. It is touched but not yet completely sunk.