we explain to you how the majority suffered its first setback in the National Assembly

“The situation is serious”, according to Elisabeth Borne. After the adoption at first reading of a health watch bill amputated from a key article, on the night of Tuesday 12 to Wednesday 13 July. “By joining forces to vote against the measures to protect the French against Covid, LFI, the LRs and the RN prevent any border control against the virus”, accused the Prime Minister. The opposition rejected the possible return of the health pass for “extra-hexagonal” trips, from or to abroad. This first text of the legislature, adopted by 221 votes (187 votes against and 24 abstentions), reflects the difficulty of maneuvering for the government and the relative majority it has. Franceinfo explains why.

Circumstantial allies who weigh against the majority

The debates on the health watch bill, which began on Monday, were marred by tensions, heckling and unforeseen reversals of the majority, according to the articles and amendments. The first questions to the government, Tuesday afternoon, set the tone for the new balance of power in the Assembly.

In the opposition, the multiple votes on the articles and amendments showed resolute hostility from the National Rally and most of the left-wing groups (LFI, communists, ecologists). Some Republicans were also part of article 2 of the health monitoring and security bill. Planning to restore the health pass for “extra-hexagonal” travel, it was rejected at the end of the evening, Tuesday, by 219 votes against 195, thanks to a conjunction of votes from the RN, LR and a majority of the Nupes leftist alliance. A provision to require this pass for underage travelers was also rejected.

These allies of circumstance shake the confidence of the majority in the improbability of a “far right far left coalition”. “A Nupes, RN, LR alliance, I don’t really believe in it”thus slipped to franceinfo an adviser to the executive at the end of June, hoping to arrive at “a majority with LR”.

The three political forces have however, throughout the debates, multiplied the attacks against the refusal of the government to reinstate the caregivers suspended because of a refusal to be vaccinated. Deemed inadmissible by the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet, these amendments could not be discussed.

These debates were “instructive on the reality of political balances and forces in this hemicycle”summarized Raphaël Schellenberger (LR) at the end of the session.

The missing voices of the ministers deputies

Even if it is a temporary situation, the majority (Renaissance, the MoDem and Horizons) suffered from the absence in the hemicycle of several deputies appointed ministers in the Borne 1 and 2 governments. They are still at the number of 21, according to the entourage of the head of the presidential group, Aurore Bergé.

According to the Electoral Code, all the deputies elected or re-elected in the last legislative elections and currently members of the government cannot hand over to their substitutes before a period of 30 days. For the 10 deputies appointed ministers on May 21, the deadline does not actually begin until June 22, the first day of the opening of the new legislature. They cannot be replaced before July 22. The 11 parliamentarians who became ministers or secretaries of state on Monday 4 July will be replaced from 4 August.

What weaken a little more the presidential majority on the texts examined during the summer, including that on purchasing power, from July 18. While every voice counts, Aurore Bergé tried, in vain, to mobilize the troops on Tuesday evening to compensate for these missing voices, reports The world.

Parliamentary work disrupted in committees

The new political landscape also has consequences for the work of the committees. The debates of Tuesday and Wednesday in the hemicycle encroached on the discussions in progress in committee ofes finances on the amending finance bill. The deputies of several camps left the premises on several occasions to take part in the ballot on the health watch bill. To the point of provoking the wrath of the rapporteur of the law on purchasing power, Jean-René Cazeneuve. “Our work is distorted”he protested.

“The composition of our Assembly now means that we will often find ourselves in this scenario, we have to get used to it, it will be like this. Perhaps we will have to anticipate it in our agendas”reacted the chairman of the finance committee, the deputy LFI Eric Coquerel.

Work in the Social Affairs Committee on the law on purchasing power was also disrupted by the ballot on the health watch law, as evidenced by an AFP journalist on Twitter.


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