Prime Minister Michel Barnier faces his first motion of censure this Tuesday, October 8 since taking office. The signatory deputies of the New Popular Front thus intend to protest against “the negation of the result of the legislative elections”. For the left, “the President of the Republic should have appointed Matignon the personality proposed by the New Popular Front, the coalition having collected the greatest number of seats (193) in the National Assembly.
“Second reason for censorship” put forward, “the political orientations of the Barnier government”, in particular the refusal of the executive to reverse pension reform and budgetary texts among “the most austerity of these twenty-five years”. The deputies also denounce “a government which takes up the concepts and vocabulary of the extreme right”.
The motion, however, has little chance of being adopted, as the National Rally has indicated that it will not vote for it. “I think the situation is serious enough not to already censor this government in advance,” said RN MP Laure Lavalette on Thursday on the France 2 set, facing NFP officials. The motion could, however, be voted on beyond the benches of the left, by non-registered deputies, from the Liot group (independents) or even from the presidential camp. The results of the votes should be known at the end of the day.
Information to remember
⇒ The National Assembly examines the left’s motion of censure against Michel Barnier
⇒ In the absence of the support of RN deputies, it has little chance of being adopted
⇒ The NFP could nevertheless rally the support of non-attached deputies
3:00 p.m.
Tensions between Barnier and the Macronists around the budget
Michel Barnier had a visibly tense meeting on Tuesday with Macronist deputies against a backdrop of disagreements over the draft budget. By going to the Macronist group meeting, the Prime Minister’s objective was to “fluidize” relations with the main group of the government coalition. But, according to one participant, the atmosphere became “deleterious” after critical questions from deputies. “When he spoke again, he said that he did not accept any criticism and was past the age to receive lessons,” he summarized.
The budget, which provides for 60 billion euros in savings, including 40 billion in spending reductions and 20 in tax increases, is not unanimous in the ranks of the Macronists, who have planned to meet at the end of the day to arbitrate their proposals then to hold a press conference on Wednesday.
2:41 p.m.
Finance bills: a perilous week for Barnier
The examination of the motion of censure comes at a time when the government must tackle a very perilous political issue this week: the presentation of the finance bill (PLF) and the Social Security finance bill (PLFSS). ), Thursday October 10, in the Council of Ministers.
The objective: to achieve 60 billion euros in savings, including 40 billion in spending reductions. The cost of the French debt (112% of GDP) has in fact increased significantly in recent months against a backdrop of political instability and new revelations on the extent of the deficit bequeathed by former minister Bruno Le Maire. It will approach 115% next year, almost double the maximum set at 60% by the European Union.
The timetable is tight, with the government late in presenting the budget due to procrastination in appointing a Prime Minister. Postponement of pension indexation, merger of certain public services, reduction in the number of civil servants: the measures already announced by Michel Barnier are widely criticized on the left. They are not unanimous in the Macronist camp either, criticizing the tax increases, giving rise to lively exchanges this Tuesday afternoon between the deputies of the ex-majority and the Prime Minister.
In this episode of the La Loupe podcast, find the analysis of Thibault Marotte, journalist in the Economy department of L’Express, who took out his calculator to see how much the avenues studied by Michel Barnier could really bring in.
2:00 p.m.
Start of consideration of the motion expected around 4:30 p.m.
It is Olivier Faure who will take the podium, presumably around 4:30 p.m., to defend the text co-signed by almost the entire left-wing alliance of the New Popular Front. “This will be the moment of truth. We will see who opposes the government and who does not,” declared the first secretary of the PS, who intends to point out in his speech a “government turning its back on the Popular Front, but especially to the Republican Front and the vote of the voters”.
Michel Barnier will respond to him, then will come a long series of interventions from political groups, before a vote whose result should only be known at the end of the day.