Battle of positions in sight this week in the hemicycle. While Emmanuel Macron instructed Elisabeth Borne to form a “new government of action” in early July after failing and the presidential coalition Ensemble failed to win an absolute majority in the National Assembly, the votes for the allocation of key positions at the Palais Bourbon will be closely scrutinized this week.
For the first time in France, a woman is about to become President of the National Assembly this Tuesday with Yaël Braun-Pivet, the now ex-Minister of Overseas. A battle is announced this Thursday for the presidency of the Finance Committee, object of all desires.
Tuesday afternoon: the perch promised to a woman for the first time
For the first time in France, a woman is about to accede to the presidency of the National Assembly with Yael Braun-Pivet. Primary position: this is the fourth character of the State.
Since a decree published in the Official Journal this Saturday, she is officially no longer Minister for Overseas France after being nominated on Wednesday as the majority candidate for the presidency of the National Assembly following an internal vote.
The deputy of Yvelines is on track to succeed Richard Ferrand – beaten in the legislative elections – during a secret ballot vote this Tuesday, June 28 of all the deputies in the hemicycle for the start of the XVIth legislature.
If the absolute majority of the votes cast has not been obtained in the first two ballots, the relative majority is sufficient in the third ballot, which should guarantee his election barring any accident.
During her first mandate, Yaël Braun-Pivet, a 51-year-old lawyer by profession, gave a facelift to the Assembly’s Law Commission and made allies, after a sluggish start, particularly during the Benalla case. The MP did not hide her ambitions in Macronie, having presented herself in 2018 for the perch before withdrawing her candidacy against Richard Ferrand who, she had however said, “does not embody renewal”.
Also show up Annie Genevard (LR), ex-vice-president LR of the Assembly, the elected RN Sebastien Chenuand there will certainly be a candidate for the union of the left.
The website of the National Assembly specifies the strategic role of the fourth character of the State : “Elected for the duration of the legislature, he has many prerogatives, some of which are enshrined in the Constitution. He is thus consulted by the President of the Republic in several cases (dissolution of the Assembly, implementation of the special powers of the article 16) and has a right of referral to the Constitutional Council, of which it appoints three of the members. And to continue: “It has above all an essential role in the organization of parliamentary work and the direction of debates in public session”.
“As soon as he is elected, the President goes up to the podium and delivers a speech in which he usually presents the way in which he intends to embody the function and develop the institution, in the event of the resignation of the President of the National Assembly, a new vote is organized in the same format”indicates the site of the National Assembly.
Tuesday evening: deadline for political groups
Before Tuesday 6 p.m., the groups – which must bring together at least 15 deputies – must submit their political statements to the President of the Assembly, accompanied by the list of their members and related deputies. The political groups can, if necessary, declare themselves to be in opposition. The list will be published on Wednesday in the Official Journal.
The deadline is important because it will make it possible to establish what the balance of power is in the new Assembly.
The majority has 252 deputies, said Thursday the head of government: it therefore lacks 37 elected for the absolute majority.
At this stage, we are moving towards 10 political groups in total, the record already reached in 2020: three majority groups (LREM renamed Renaissance, MoDem and Horizons), four on the left (LFI, PS, PCF, ecolo) , the LR and RN groups, and probably the UTiles. This latter group, made up in particular of overseas deputies, intends to be “independent” and rather in “propositional opposition”.
Wednesday: the members of the office at the helm of the institution
New session Wednesday, June 29 at 3 p.m. Will be appointed, possibly by ballot if there is a plurality of candidates, members of the office of the National Assembly, a sort of board of directors of the institution. These are primarily the six Vice Presidents of the Assemblywho take turns chairing meetings with the President of the Assembly.
The Three Quaestors, two from the majority, one from the opposition, will also be appointed. Directly inspired by the Roman quaestors, they hold the purse strings of the institution.
Also in game, twelve secretary positions. The bureau governs the functioning of the National Assembly and can also decide to waive the immunity of a deputy. It must reflect the composition of the Assembly.
After a psychodrama in 2017 on the opposition quaestor, the majority revised the rules, establishing a point system according to the position to be filled, with a view to distribution between the groups. Counting from Wednesday morning during a summit meeting of their presidents.
Thursday: battle for the Finance Committee
This Thursday, June 30 from 10:30 a.m., the fight will unfold in the eight standing committees of the Assembly (Laws, Economic Affairs, Social Affairs…) for the election of their leadership. They are elected by the members of the eight commissions, chosen the day before.
The LREM group is preparing for it on Monday with a series of internal votes, in particular on the strategic functions of general budget rapporteurs. Jean-René Cazeneuve and Alexandre Holroyd in particular are in the running for that of the State, Marc Ferracci and Stéphanie Rist for that of the Secu. The spotlight will be on the Finance Committee, whose chairman must be a member of the opposition.
The main battle should take place for the presidency of the Finance Committeeobject of all desires because very strategic role: it controls the state budget and also allowsaccess documents covered by tax secrecy.
She has to come back to a member of an opposition group – not necessarily the most important – during a vote in which the majority traditionally does not participate.
But some macronists have hinted that it could be different this time, while among the candidates are the Insoumis Eric Coquerelthe RN Jean-Philippe Tanguy and the socialist Valerie Rabault. To avoid fractures within the Nupes, the latter suggested a rotating presidency… on the left.
Answer Thursday to know the successor of Éric Woerth at the head of this Finance Committee.
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