The elected official from Seine-Saint-Denis accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon of “harming” the far-left movement. In response, the LFI group office in the Assembly banned him from speaking on its behalf for four months. But this decision is criticized internally.
After a hearing of more than an hour and a half, Monday, November 6, in the evening, the sanction of the office of the parliamentary group of La France insoumise (LFI) against the deputy Raquel Garrido fell. For having openly criticized several members of the movement and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the elected representative of Seine-Saint-Denis “can no longer be a speaker on behalf of the group” in the National Assembly and this “for a period of four months”.
Raquel Garrido will no longer have the right to speak during government question sessions. This decision was denounced by the person concerned, but also by other executives of La France insoumise, who gave her their support. These dissensions brought to light raise several questions. Raquel Garrido is indeed among Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s oldest traveling companions within the far-left party.
1 What is Raquel Garrido accused of?
In recent weeks, Raquel Garrido has publicly criticized the functioning of La France insoumise, but also the actions of its founder. In an interview given to franceinfo, Sunday October 22, the MP thus accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon of harming his camp “for maybe a year” And “the Quatennens affair”.
The elected official criticizes the rebellious leader in particular for his attitude when Adrien Quatennens was accused of domestic violence in September 2022. The former coordinator of the movement, who admitted to a slap on his partner, was convicted of domestic violence.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon has only harmed LFI “since the Quatennens affair”, believes MP Raquel Garrido. “I’m just as rebellious as him [] I ask him to ask himself the question of how he uses his influence.” pic.twitter.com/tiq00bHwyy
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) October 22, 2023
Raquel Garrido also put forward her arguments regarding the place occupied by the former presidential candidate, officially in the background, but still very present. “France insoumise was structured as a presidential campaign tool for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, it cannot last like this”insisted the MP. “Activists, executives, deputies, the rebellious electorate want us to change the way we do things.”
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, La France insoumise has multiplied disagreements internally and with left-wing parties that are members of Nupes. These criticisms resonate in the public space while LFI and its founder are accused by the presidential camp as well as by the right of not having condemned strongly enough the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7.
2 How is La France insoumise justified?
During a press briefing, Mathilde Panot, the president of the LFI group in the Assembly, assured that Raquel Garrido had not been sanctioned for “having criticized or (…) expressed one’s ideas”. The elected representative from Val-de-Marne justified the decision of the rebellious office and questioned the rebellious attitude of her colleague for several weeks. She assures that Raquel Garrido was sanctioned for “accumulations of repeated actions and comments which harm the proper functioning of the group”.
Raquel Garrido sanctioned by the LFI group: “It is false to say that Ms. Garrido would have been sanctioned for having criticized or for just expressing her ideas,” declares @MathildePanotwhich also rules out any comparison with the sanction of Adrien Quatennens.#DirectAN pic.twitter.com/NXHsAyKtLJ
— LCP (@LCP) November 7, 2023
In its press release announcing the decision to sanction Raquel Garrido, the group’s parliamentary office accused her of having harmed the functioning of La France insoumise by “spreading false information in the press” Or “the questioning and ad hominem denigration of several members of the group”.
Already after the interview with Raquel Garrido on franceinfo, the elected official’s statements had been criticized, in particular by her colleague Nadège Abomangoli. “It’s Raquel Garrido who has been causing harm for months because she is not coordinating the movement. Ridiculous and dangerous”had tackled the MP on social networks.
3 Why is this decision not unanimous?
Raquel Garrido reacted strongly on the social network (formerly Twitter), contesting the legitimacy of the parliamentary office, a body “self-proclaimed discipline” according to her, who tries “to resolve political disagreements through coercive measures”. She denounces a ban equivalent to that inflicted on Adrien Quatennens.
Several figures from La France insoumise, who disagree with the political line adopted by the movement’s leadership, and who call for democratization of the far-left party, provided their support or defended the MP. “Solidarity”reacted MP Alexis Corbière, spouse of Raquel Garrido, on X. According to him, “we do not resolve strategic and political disagreements with unfounded administrative sanctions”.
This is also the case for Clémentine Autain who said “dismayed by this sanction”. Guest of France Inter, the MP for Seine-Saint-Denis felt that it was not necessary to resolve “political differences through bureaucratic sanctions”. “The party does not strengthen itself by purifying itself”she estimated. “The logic behind all this is the idea that the clan would go before the movement”she continued, referring to Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his relatives.
The rebel also received the support of François Ruffin in a message published on. “Raquel Garrido disagrees with the absence of democracy in La France insoumise. And how does our movement, which advocates the Sixth Republic, respond to her? Not with a debate, but with a sanction”, notes the elected official from the Somme. The latter denounces a sanction “arbitrary” and opaque: “Could the management of my group (…) provide us with the price list in the event of a discrepancy?” he concludes ironically.