The socialist bill was rejected in extremis, Thursday, during its examination in the hemicycle of the Palais-Bourbon.
Every vote counts in the National Assembly. The deputies rejected by one vote (184 against, 183 for) a bill from the PS group establishing access to meals at one euro for all students, Thursday, February 9. This rate is currently reserved for scholarship holders and the most precarious. We explain to you this very tight and very commented rejection.
A socialist bill examined within the framework of a “parliamentary niche”
While the National Assembly is in the midst of a debate on the pension reform bill, Thursday was devoted to the socialist group’s bills, as part of its “parliamentary niche”. On this occasion, the PS deputies, who had their hands on the agenda, tried to have several texts adopted, in particular a bill to prevent the “dismantling” of EDF or another to introduce a menu at one euro for all students.
Article 1 of this bill provided that “the pricing of the meals distributed by the regional centers of university works, in all their catering sites, cannot be higher than 1 euro”. This 1 euro catering ticket had already been set up by the government in 2020 for higher education scholarship holders, then extended in January 2021 to all students, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But for the 2022-2023 school year, only scholarship and precarious students are entitled to this rate. The other students benefit from a meal at the social rate of 3.30 euros. “While only 38% of students receive a scholarship, it is unthinkable to deprive the other 62%, or nearly 2 million young people, of a meal at an ‘affordable’ price”, explained Socialist MP Fatiha Keloua Hachi, who carried this text for her group.
The presidential majority denounces an “unfair” measure and rallies its troops on the wire
The Macronist deputies fought this measure, judging it “unfair”on the grounds that it would also have benefited students from wealthy backgrounds. “Thanks to you, the children of your friend Bernard Arnault will be able to go to the Crous and only pay 1 euro”, for example launched the Renaissance deputy Sylvain Maillard in the hemicycle. His colleague Anne Brugnera pinned a measure “demagogic”.
The Minister of Higher Education, Sylvie Retailleau, also pleaded against the measure, the cost of which she estimated at “90 million euros” at least. She underlined the existence of social tariffs for meals for “students in difficulty”.
After the first victorious votes on the amendments, which suggested a possible adoption of the text, the presidential camp finally mobilized in extremis deputies from its camp for the final vote. A strategy that has paid off, except for the vote.
LR deputies divided … but rather against
To the right of the majority, the Republican deputies were divided on the issue. The deputy LR Alexandre Portier thus pleaded for access to the price of 1 euro to be conditional on a commitment of “working two hours a week in the service of a local community”. At the time of the final vote, four LR deputies abstained and seven voted against, including party president Eric Ciotti.
A large number of absent Green MPs
Several absences were also very noticeable. Twelve of the 22 ecologist deputies, allies of the socialists within the Nupes, did not take part in the vote in the hemicycle. The ten present all voted in favour. Several elected environmentalists were actually busy elsewhere, such as the president of the environmental group in the Assembly, Cyrielle Chatelain, who participated with two other deputies in the launch of the states general of political ecology a few hundred meters away.
Asked about the subject, the leader of the Socialist deputies put their absence into perspective: “The subject is not those who were able to vote for, but those who voted against. No false trial”, said Boris Vallaud. An LFI deputy interviewed on franceinfo was less tender: “It’s a shame, because there was an opportunity. We were almost complete”.
The left and student associations disappointed
The result of the vote, even so close, is implacable and the text was therefore rejected by the National Assembly. “I am disappointed. Except for one vote, the universal meal at 1 euro was enshrined in law. But it is especially the students who will be disappointed today”, regretted the socialist rapporteur Fatiha Keloua Hachi. A disappointment shared by the first concerned. “As students, we feel completely wrongeddeclared on franceinfo Imane Ouelhadj, president of Unef. We are disappointed and disgusted because we had a little hope.”