Matignon asks ministers to cancel their trips so that all deputies are in the Assembly

The instruction was passed on Thursday, December 7 by Élisabeth Borne’s chief of staff. “The Prime Minister requests the cancellation of all ministerial trips” scheduled for Monday, December 11, the day the examination of the immigration bill in the Assembly begins. The debate will begin with the examination of a preliminary rejection motion, which, if adopted by the oppositions, would stop the discussions dead in their tracks.

By depriving ministers of going out, the objective is to ensure that all the majority deputies will be present in the hemicycle at 4 p.m. sharp for the opening of the debate, and not accompanying a minister who would come to visit their constituency. This message from Matignon underlines “the importance of mobilizing the majority”.

Stand together

This is a sign that the government does not want “don’t take any risks” insists an executive advisor. Coming together is the objective, because “every vote will count” said another, even if a minister does not want to believe in a “coalition of people who don’t agree on anything”. It is the Ecologists’ motion to reject that will be examined. The RN responds “surprise” when we ask whether they will vote for it or not, torn between dealing a severe blow to the government or taking advantage of a platform on immigration for 15 days.

As for the LR, they are divided between those who want to trip up Gérald Darmanin and those who refuse to add their voice to those of the Greens, with whom they have nothing in common on immigration. “The fact that it is an environmentalist motion reduces the risk” reassures a minister. However, no one is certain, “it will be stop or still” said someone close to Gérald Darmanin. “We will be thereinsists a deputy, but if they ever agree from the RN to LFI, we will be beaten, we know that”. The eternal problem of the relative majority.