Despite the fall weather, the temperature quickly rose on Thursday, June 30 at the National Assembly. At the Palais-Bourbon, it is 10:30 a.m. when the deputies meet in the eight permanent committees to appoint their presidents. But in the room of the Four Columns, it is the powerful Finance Committee that crystallizes all the attention.
If the other commissions are chaired by the majority, the “ComFi” is up to the opposition. But to which one? The Nupes and the RN both pose as the main opposition group in the hemicycle. The left-wing coalition has managed to agree on a single candidate: Eric Coquerel, deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis and close to Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The RN sends Jean-Philippe Tanguy, deputy of the Somme and former right arm of Nicolas Dupont-Aignan.
In ambush, Les Républicains present the candidacy of Véronique Louwagie, MP for Orne, while the group Libertés, Independants, Overseas and Territories (Liot) carries that of the ex-LR Charles de Courson. So much for the suitors. The majority respects tradition and does not take part in the vote, even if some at LR would have liked it to be otherwise to counter Eric Coquerel.
“We respected the spirit of the institutions, we let the opposition choose”, thus insisted, in front of the press, Jean-René Cazeneuve, general rapporteur of the Budget. In fact, a large number of deputies of the majority, as soon as the session opened, left the room. “We didn’t see anything, we were outside all the time. The instructions were clear: we weren’t taking part in the vote”, says Charles Sitzenstuhl, LREM deputy for Bas-Rhin. Result: of the 72 members of the Finance Committee, only 41 deputies will deposit a ballot in the ballot box. At 10:15 am, the ballot is closed and the result is in line with the forecasts: Eric Coquerel obtains the 20 votes of Nupes, Philippe Tanguy, the 11 of the RN, Véronique Louwagie the 8 of LR, and Charles de Courson the 2 of his group.
No absolute majority for the rebellious deputy. A second round must be organized, the result of which is identical to the first. The third round must be decided by relative majority. Except that the RN, LR and Charles de Courson are trying to tilt the election and take the seat from Eric Coquerel. At 11 a.m., the Republicans ask for a first fifteen-minute session suspension, followed by a new suspension at the request of the RN and then Charles de Courson.
For forty-five minutes, negotiations are going well to try to reach an agreement. At the Four Columns, some deputies of the majority pass by and observe the negotiations from afar. “There is a lot of suspense. We have never seen so many cameras here”remarks, smiling, the MoDem deputy for Yvelines, Jean-Noël Barrot.
Republicans offer “two consensus solutions”according to a right-wing MP: “Louwagie” and “Course”. Clearly, the right-wing deputies are ready to withdraw the candidacy of Véronique Louwagie in favor of“a consensus candidacy” in the person of Charles de Courson. Except that they also need the voices of the RN to hope to win.
On the side of the party of Marine Le Pen, a withdrawal in favor of the deputy of Marne is not on the agenda. “There were concrete discussions between the RN, LR and Liot. We tried to find a solution”, eludes, at first, Jean-Philippe Tanguy, at the end of the election. The candidate of the RN, who does not take off that “the main opposition party” did not obtain the Finance Committee, confirms another rumor. That of a rotating presidency between him, Véronique Louwagie and Charles de Courson. He was in favor “provided it’s public to me from the start”. But this proposal “comet”, in his words, did not reach consensus.
At 11:45 a.m., the session resumed. Surprise: Charles de Courson withdraws his candidacy. “From the moment there was no LR / RN agreement, the match was played”assures Michel Castellani, Corsican deputy who is part of the Liot. “I understood that there was water in the gas for a compromise, there was no sense in maintaining a candidacy in the 3rd round”, continues the parliamentarian. Especially since Charles de Courson, whose family lost members in concentration camps in 1945, refuses to take advantage of the voices of the extreme right, specifies his entourage to Release. Only a surprise vote of support from the majority could have changed the situation, but the deputies of the presidential camp maintained their position until the end by abstaining.
Shortly before noon, the third round is played. Eric Coquerel is elected with 21 votes, against 11 for the RN and 9 for LR. The LFI deputy wins with an additional vote compared to the other two rounds. That of Michel Castellani? “The vote is secret”, eludes the deputy. By retiring, Charles de Courson made it possible to release two voices, his own and that of Michel Castellani. While the deputy of Marne regrets in front of the cameras that the majority did not take part in the vote, a telephone call interrupts him. At the other end of the line, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. To thank him for withdrawing his candidacy? The latter refuses to reveal the content of the conversation. Even with an LR / RN alliance, Eric Coquerel could not have been beaten, as noted by LR deputy Pierre-Henri Dumont.
Back to the #FinanceCommission for math dummies ⤵️
In the last round, the LFI had 21 votes, the RN 11 and the LR 9.
It therefore appears that in all cases, LFI won.
Those who allowed the election of LFI, it is the majority who did not take part in the vote.
— Pierre-Henri Dumont (@phdumont) June 30, 2022
Surrounded by a slew of cameras, Eric Coquerel savors his election, “satisfied” that the majority did not take part in the vote. “I am chairman of the entire finance committee and I intend to ensure that the rights of the Assembly are respected”, he declares, in a consensual speech that he also held in front of his peers.
“He had reassuring words in his speech, I trust him”, confirms Jean-René Cazeneuve. This is not enough to sweep away the doubts of the other deputies. “Given the state and the challenges of public finances, I am necessarily worried”, delivers a deputy LR. More than ever, the “ComFi” will be at the heart of the media and political attention of this legislature.