NARRATIVE. Threats of resignation, crisis meeting… How the majority is struggling after the adoption of the immigration law

Proof that the crisis is serious, the Prime Minister and the Head of State are wet this Wednesday: Elisabeth Borne on France Inter this morning, Emmanuel Macron in “C à vous” this evening.

We’re certainly not done with the twists and turns. Gérald Darmanin on Tuesday December 19 in the Assembly and Elisabeth Borne this Wednesday December 20 on France Inter may have claimed a victory, the situation remains very confused, the day after the adoption of the immigration law by Parliament. And for good reason, the presidential camp is in the storm. According to information from franceinfo, six ministers are threatening to resign: Roland Lescure for Industry, Clément Beaune for Transport, Rima Abdul-Malak for Culture, Patrice Vergriete for Housing, Sylvie Retailleau for Higher Education and of course, Aurélien Rousseau to health.

Everything happened on Wednesday morning as if Elisabeth Borne didn’t want to hear about it. “I spoke very late with the President of the Republic. He did not receive the resignation of Aurélien Rousseau. It is a non-subject. It is legitimate for ministers to ask questions. We are going to stop comment on things that don’t exist.”assures the Prime Minister on France Inter, who discusses her “feeling of duty accomplished”.

However, the storm was strong enough for the head of state to convene a crisis meeting at the Elysée on Tuesday evening. The panic was palpable in the face of a majority which was faltering, stunned by Marine Le Pen’s decision to vote for the text, the National Rally claiming a “ideological victory”which Elisabeth Borne denies.

A parallel with Pierre Mendès-France as a “basin of cold water”

So, during this meeting, the president hammers out his martingale, imagined with François Bayrou, the boss of Modem, his long-time great ally, to reassure the troops of the refusal to compromise: in the event of adoption thanks to the votes of the RN, he promises a second deliberation, as permitted by article 10 of the Constitution. The figure of Pierre Mendès-France, embodied symbol of ethics in politics, is even summoned, with this parallel: in 1954, after the defeat of Diên Bien Phu, he refused to be elected President of the council with the votes of the communists, allies of the Viet Min. A way of “throw a large basin of cold water to bring down the fever”welcomes one of the presidential advisers.

The cold snap worked, at least temporarily. The text is passed. But no one will be able to cast a veil over these figures for very long: 20 votes against in the Renaissance group and 17 abstentions, with again early supporters, and this smacking name. Sacha Houlié, president of the Law Commission, chief negotiator on the file, said no. In the end, a quarter of the majority deputies did not support the text.

“We will move on to other issues that concern the French”

“We have a voted text, we will move on to other issues that concern the French”, continued Wednesday morning on France Inter Elisabeth Borne. A way of minimizing the majority of the crisis a little more. A crisis ? What crisis? For the Prime Minister, “there is no crisis in the majority”. “We are going to talk to each other, I spent hours with the deputies. We will continue to move forward on the course set by the President of the Republic, and continue to provide answers to our country and to the French”continues Elisabeth Borne, who is already planning for the future.

But before we move on completely, there is at least one more step. Before promulgating the law, Emmanuel Macron transmits the text to the Constitutional Council. The Socialist Party and La France insoumise will also seize it. On France Inter on Wednesday, the Prime Minister herself recognized that provisions of the text were contrary to the Constitution. A situation which outrages the leader of the rebellious deputies, Mathilde Panot.

Moving forward by going back

For the future, what answers and what direction? The situation is still serious enough for Emmanuel Macron to take the floor on Wednesday evening in “It’s yours”. A long format, in the form of a discussion, less solemn than a speech, as if it was again a question of containing the gravity of the moment. The president plans to return to the highlights of 2023 and already talk about 2024.

The executive couple is trying to regain control, to show that, no, the National Rally has not just scored a decisive point. In fact, Emmanuel Macron must ensure that it is still possible to act. He will have to say how, on which files precisely. “Impossible to return to business as usual”, said a minister. Will Emmanuel Macon still want to reshuffle his government to find new impetus? “If it’s a question of people, it would be a bit vain”argues a member of the government, who notes that “it is first and foremost a question of program before being a question of incarnation”.

Elisabeth Borne in any case seems determined that her efforts will not be forgotten. “The vote on the rejection motion was a form of detonation. We had to get out of this impasse. I have been wet for the last ten days. This is not the text that we would have voted for with an absolute majority , it is the text that allowed us to move forward”, defends the Prime Minister, who does not rule out having to reconsider certain measures such as limited access to APL for foreigners or the deposit for students, according to the conclusions of the Constitutional Council. This is the paradox: we will have to move forward, but by going backwards.