The election of the six vice-presidents of the Assembly, who make up the bureau of the chamber with the quaestors and secretaries, gave rise to the first rounds of arms of the 17th legislature on Friday, July 19. One vote was cancelled, due to too many ballots in relation to the number of voters.
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Four of the six vice-presidents were elected in the first round: the Insoumises (left) Nadège Abomangoli and Clémence Guetté, who will be the first vice-president, the candidate of Horizons (right) and outgoing vice-president Naïma Moutchou, and Xavier Breton (Republican Right).
In the second round, the resigning Minister of Industry Roland Lescure and the Republican MP (right) Annie Genevard were elected. The National Rally (RN, far right) did not manage to make its two outgoing vice-presidents, Sébastien Chenu and Hélène Laporte, win.
The National Assembly also elected three quaestors on Friday evening – Christine Pirès Beaune (Socialist Party), Brigitte Klinkert (Ensemble pour la République) and Michèle Tabarot (La Droite républicaine), to occupy the influential positions of the quaestorship, responsible in particular for the proper management of the finances of the lower house. Holding the purse strings at the Palais Bourbon, the quaestors have broad competence over its budget. No new expenditure may be incurred without their prior notice. “, specifies the institution’s regulations.
The RN Bruno Bilde lost to Christine Pirès Beaune. Regarding the 12 positions of secretary of the Assembly, everything suggests that the RN will not obtain any because of the republican front – which does not say its name – between the New Popular Front and the presidential alliance, estimates Aurelien Devernoixjournalist in the political service of RFI. The RN’s desire to refuse any compromise with a view to positioning itself as the only real opposition party in the chamber also explains the RN’s absence from key positions in the National Assembly.
“Ballot stuffing” at the Palais Bourbon?
Before the election of the vice-presidents at the end of these rounds, a first vote was cancelled. Two and a half hours after the start of the voting operations, a dramatic turn of events: ” After the count, it emerged that ten envelopes too many had been placed in the ballot boxes. […]. We will have to re-run the vote as the results were too small. “, declared President Yaël Braun-Pivet (Renaissance), re-elected to the chair the day before.
” Shame on those who committed this fraud. ” thundered the socialist deputy Jérôme Guedj in the hemicycle, demanding an investigation and the revision of the voting procedures. In the Salle des Quatre-Colonnes, where the deputies meet the press, the elected representatives appeared disillusioned. There is suspicion of ballot stuffing “, notes the spokesperson for the Republican Right, Vincent Jeanbrun. ” A desire for destabilization should not be ruled out. “, judge Jean-René Cazeneuve (group Together for the Republic) with Charlotte Urien-Tomakaa journalist in the political service of RFI. A feeling shared by Viollette Spillebout, Renaissance du Nord MP, who believes that this can only be a voluntary act. The stakes are crucial: the vice-presidents replace the president of the Assembly in her absence.
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” Tactical move »
Champion of a balanced representation of each political force in the bodies of the Assembly, the group of Marine Le Pen had announced that he would vote for Mesdames Abomangoli, Guetté, Moutchou, Laporte and Messieurs Breton and Chenu.
In the press, the left-wing deputies tried to decipher ” the tactical move ” of the RN, according to the words of Benjamin Lucas (Ecologist and Social group). “ The RN had lost. Which is what it sought to do with its pseudo-coup d’éclat “, It is ” hide the fact that they are automatic losers, suggest that there might be some return of favor, etc. “, commented La France Insoumise (LFI) MP Sarah Legrain.
In the hemicycle, Macron’s party did not fail to note this unexpected support from the RN for La France Insoumise. LFI being elected with the votes of the National Rally, they could at least shake their hands “, declared the resigning Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin. ” You, the Macronists, have no lessons to give to France Insoumise and the New Popular Front. It was you who voted in 2022 to elect vice-presidents of the National Assembly “RN, sharply replied the president of the LFI group Mathilde Panot, in a tense atmosphere. Deputies exchanged insults in the hemicycle.
” Different matches »
Macronie, which in 2022 had conceded two vice-presidencies to the RN, in the interest of fair representation of the groups, has this time chosen to come to an agreement with the right to allow the election of Yaël Braun-Pivet. The risk for the presidential camp is to alienate all the oppositions, in exchange for an alliance with LR far from ensuring the 289 votes of an absolute majority, the whole weighing 213 deputies.
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According to concordant sources, the right is also asking for the Finance Commission, which will be decided on Saturday. For this position to return to the Republican Right, the outgoing majority will have to take part in the vote, which is contrary to custom. A shame “, denounced Manuel Bompard (LFI).
For Emmanuel Macronthis alliance for the perch is the first step towards the formation of a government that would have the support of the right, which would allow to dampen the hopes of governing of the left. The leaders of the New Popular Front seemed however not to want to give up on Friday. These are different matches [entre l’Assemblée et Matignon]. We are here, we continue and we believe in it ” assured the head of the environmentalists Marine Tondelier on Franceinfo.
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