After the tumult of the first days of examination of the pension reform bill, this Thursday was supposed to mark the return of relative calm within the National Assembly, due to the socialist parliamentary niche. But after an afternoon marked by numerous points of order, multiple adjournments and the resounding departure of the majority deputies, it is clear that the atmosphere is still heated in the Palais Bourbon.
Concern began to spread in the ranks of the macronie in the middle of the afternoon during the examination of a bill aimed at extending meals to 1 euro for all students. The text was rejected by a narrow margin, with one vote, after the emergency recall of the deputies of the majority in the benches of the chamber.
A tariff shield for bakers
Things get a bit complicated during the study of a second socialist bill, for a “nationalization” without risk of “dismantling” of EDF.
The text, presented by Eure MEP Philippe Brun, also aims to establish a tariff shield related to energy prices for VSEs and SMEs, in particular bakeries, with whom the text was drafted.
Realizing that they will not be able to put the text in the minority when all the parliamentary groups have decided to vote, the deputies of the majority first try to play the clock.
Points of order and suspensions of the session follow one another, as do the speeches, in particular by the Minister of Industry Roland Lescure and the Macronist deputy Jean-René Cazeneuve.
An article that does not comply with European law?
According to them, the tariff shield that the Socialists want to put up would be unconstitutional, because it would mean State spending, which the Assembly cannot do.
“This is an extremely serious precedent for our institutions, it is a very clear violation of article 40 of the Constitution,” launches the general rapporteur of the finance committee Jean-René Cazeneuve.
The Socialists answer that the financial support of the benefit is not specified, and that it can return to the energy companies. The Minister of Industry, Roland Lescure, recalls then that the government has already launched a takeover bid to increase the capital of the electric giant to 100%, then relies on the European Union to denounce the text from the government banks.
“Your article does not conform to European legislation”, he assures, and then launches: “In front of all of you, until the end, Europe, we will continue to change it, but we will stay there!”.
“A Masquerade”
False, answers Philippe Brun. “You can’t say that, nothing,” he says, recalling various European provisions that allow exceptional regulation of energy prices.
Finally, the macronistas decide to leave the Assembly. “We must respect our Constitution. Under these conditions, the presidential majority refuses to continue participating in these debates that are just a masquerade”, thunders Aurore Bergé, president of the Macronista deputies in the National Assembly.
“The macronistas are cowards! They abandoned the Assembly after having done hours of obstruction,” criticized the LFI deputy Antoine Léaument.
Result? The socialist text destined to the nationalization of EDF is approved, with 205 votes in favor and only one against. “You know, what just happened is called abandonment of office,” the communist deputy Sébastien Jumel launched as a conclusion to Roland Lescure.
Source: BFM TV
