While a new National Assembly is being set up in France, in an unprecedented configuration under the Fifth Republic, the parliamentary groups will have to tackle their own constitution. However, the forces involved are, for some, from young coalitions. First issue: the presidency of the Finance Committee, which since 2007 has been the main opposition group. Who to take it?
In the aftermath of unprecedented legislative elections, Marine Le Pen can boast of being at the head of the main opposition party in the Assembly. Its formation, the National Rally, will have for the first time in its history 89 deputies, by far its record, and above all more than the LR-UDI alliance.
It is therefore quite natural that the triple candidate for the presidential election asked for her troops the strategic presidency of the finance committee, which traditionally goes to the opposition, since the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy and the Fillon governments, between 2007 and 2012.
►To re-read: Legislative 2022 in France: Marine Le Pen, the day after
Marine Le Pen speaks after the second round of legislative elections:
Jean-Luc Mélenchon makes less than half of the deputies who would be needed to claim the office of Prime Minister. He lied to voters and that is also what was sanctioned.
Nupes, more than an electoral alliance?
Except that on the benches opposite, to the left of the relative majority of Ensemble, which brings together the presidential Renaissance party, the MoDem and other movements like Horizons, there is the New Popular, Ecological and Social Union (Nupes ), much larger than the RN group, but composite.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon tried his luck on Monday. ” The New Popular, Ecological and Social Union should be constituted as a single group “, Pleaded the leader of the main pillar of the Nupes, LFI, while the deputies of the different edges began to settle in the Bourbon palace.
” As soon as there is only one group, without any possible discussion, the opposition would be called Nupes “, he said in front of the headquarters of La France insoumise. ” Naturally, I will defer to what the groups will decide “, but ” I believe that we must be and remain a united alternative “.
Statement by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the day after the second round of legislative elections:
This is a suggestion, not an injunction. That does not prevent each party from having a delegation, like in the European Parliament, which organizes itself (…) Even if we were to lose some material resources, I consider that this is derisory compared to the political issue looming before us.
I did not propose the dissolution of the parties but the formation of a common parliamentary group. Each will of course be able to form a separate delegation to the National Assembly as we already do each in the European Parliament. pic.twitter.com/OG76DUr4Q7
— Jean-Luc Melenchon (@JLMelenchon) June 20, 2022
Blend into a group, devices say no
The response was not long in coming. It came from Valérie Rabault, leader of the Socialists in the Assembly during the previous legislature. ” I oppose it “, she launched on Twitter, believing that her party, the PS, should help preserve the ” plurality » and the « diversity from the left.
Finally, the Socialist Party, but also Europe Ecology-Les Verts (EELV) and the French Communist Party (PCF), declared to Agence France-Presse that they refused the cautious proposal of Mr. Mélenchon, recalling that the coalition agreement signed in early May provided for separate groups.
Pierre Jouvet, spokesman for the PS, who had negotiated the agreement with La France insoumise:
It was never about a single group. There will be a socialist group in the National Assembly (…) The coalition contract was very clear, it provided for each party to have its own group and then there would be an intergroup.
Same story on the side of Alain Coulombel, spokesperson for the environmental party EELV:
We have a contract with Nupes and I think it’s the same for PCF and PS: it was agreed that everyone had their own group. This proposal is inappropriate with respect to mutual commitment. We are presented with a fait accompli.
As for Igor Zamichiei, number two of the PCF, he agrees to an intergroup and that’s it:
Having a clean group is one of the elements of the agreement, we have always been clear about this.
Significant degree of uncertainty on this issue
The presidency of the Finance Committee allows access to sensitive information, lifting tax secrecy and thus accessing files, for example. It also makes it possible to ensure a role of control of the State budget, and to request the opening of a parliamentary commission of inquiry.
It therefore remains to be seen whether the Nupes will succeed in counterbalancing the presence of the National Rally, during the final composition of its group in the Hemicycle. We are there in the habits and customs of the Assembly, and not the oldest, since they are only about fifteen years old.
The JDD recalls that, in principle, the majority does not take part in the vote. Could the tradition be changing? ” It seems dangerous to me to have the RN or LFI at the head of the Finance Committee, it would be better to have an LR or a PS “, Estimates Éric Woerth, the outgoing president (LR), rallied to Mr. Macron.
Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party, added complexity to the case by recalling that “ the republican tradition is for the presidential majority not to participate in the vote “, and that in his eyes, ” it’s Nupes “Which wins,” except that LR and RN link their destiny… »
►Read also: Emmanuel Macron put to the test of the relative majority
What presidency for the National Assembly ?
The formation of the groups could take place on June 28, the date on which the President of the Assembly will also be elected. The place was left vacant by the defeat of Richard Ferrand, loyal lieutenant of Mr. Macron, on his land. Several names circulate to replace him in the majority.
It should be noted that Marine Le Pen is asking for a vice-presidency of the chamber for her party, and that the proposal of the LFI deputy, Éric Coquerel, to table a motion of censure against the Borne government from the beginning of July, did not find favor with the eyes of the boss of the deputies of the PS either.
For Valérie Rabault, who was personally re-elected in Tarn-et-Garonne, the macronists should now rather think about the “ Only solution » which presents itself to them according to her: « negotiate text by text, which is fine “. And the boss of his party to mock the head of state:
If President Macron wants to increase the minimum wage to 1,500 euros, revalue pensions, abandon his reform at 65, freeze the prices of basic necessities: we are there!