The cordon sanitaire strategy against the RN in the Assembly divides the deputies

Some deputies, particularly from the right, are questioning the wisdom of blocking the National Rally from key positions within the Palais-Bourbon.

No key position in the National Assembly for the National Rally and even less in the presidency, the “perch”. A position defended by Ensemble pour la République, ex-Renaissance, now chaired by Gabriel Attal but also by the left. A scandalous position judges the RN. “What has become of our democracy where we try to prevent the opposition from having responsibilities in the Assembly?”protests Marine Le Pen, president of the RN group.

Tempers are flaring around this instruction. The Republican MP for the Alpes-Maritimes, Eric Ciotti, who joined the National Rally against the advice of a large part of his camp during the legislative elections, believes that Gabriel Attal does not respect the French. “It is extremely shockingprotests Eric Ciotti. This is an attack on democracy.”

“There is a tradition in this house, that all groups are represented to take on responsibilities. If this approach were to succeed, it would be a ‘combinazione’ which would somewhere leave aside 11 million French people.”

Eric Ciotti, group president at the Assembly A Droite!

to franceinfo

Nearly 11 million voters voted for the National Rally and its allies in the legislative elections. “We would have preferred that the RN did not achieve such a score, but we must also respect it”explains François-Xavier Ceccoli, Corsican MP for the Republican Right party. “I believe that today, voters express choices and that these choices translate into representation in the National Assembly and that as such, each political family has the right to its representation. Then, at what level and to what extent ? It is a debate that can take place. But today, to say that the deputies themselves are blocking the Republican vote, that seems to me to be relatively dangerous.”

When Hervé Berville is asked the question, the Macronist MP for Côtes-d’Armor and Secretary of State for the Sea seems surprised. There is nothing anti-democratic in his opinion: “It is the responsibility of the voters to vote. And it is the duty of the Republic to have elected representatives who are there. But then, it is up to me to vote and when I vote, I do so conscientiously and therefore I fully assume not to favor and not to vote for deputies of the National Rally.”

An official line that is not unanimous within the group, which goes against the vote of the electors, confides one of its members. A republican barrier also denounced by former allies of the ex-majority such as the Horizon party of Edouard Philippe. “I call for a return to reason. Everyone should be represented if their political weight justifies it.”explains the MP for Indre, François Jolivet.

On the MoDem side, there is a middle ground; they agree to open up the vice-presidencies but there is no question of supporting the RN or LFI at the head of the commissions – the position gives too much political weight to the parties, explains an advisor.