Serious things begin at the National Assembly. After the registration of the deputies and the designation of the group presidents last week, the deputies must distribute the key posts this week. And it starts this Tuesday, June 28 with the election of the “perch”, the presidency of the Assembly. For the official opening of the parliamentary session, at 3 p.m. this Tuesday, June 28, 2022, it is the dean of the Hemicyle who is installed there: José Gonzalez, 79, deputy of the National Rally (RN). This is the first time that a newly elected MP finds himself in this position.
A post of President of the National Assembly
José Gonzalez will thus have the mission of oversee the election of the President of the Assembly. The big favorite is Yael Braun-Pivet who was nominated as the candidate representing the three groups of the presidential majority. A woman on the “perch” would be a first in France, thus succeeding Richard Ferrand, a close friend of Emmanuel Macron defeated in the second round of the legislative elections. A novice in politics in 2017, the 51-year-old elected official only remained Minister of Overseas for one month. Yaël Braun-Pivet left the government this weekend for the perch. Re-elected deputy for Yvelines on June 19, she took advantage of a window of opportunity to present herself to an internal primary for the presidency of the Assembly on Wednesday, winning over another ex-chairman of the LREM commission, Roland Lescure.
Also candidates are: Annie Genevard for Les Républicains (LR), Sébastien Chenu for the National Rally, as well as a candidate from Nupes whose name will be revealed on Tuesday, following an intergroup meeting. These three candidates have almost no chance of being appointed, given the voting method: only the relative majority – the 252 deputies of the majority – is necessary from the third round.
All the deputies will therefore be gathered in alphabetical order from 3 p.m. this Tuesday, for the first time in the hemicycle, in order to launch the 16th legislature. They will then follow one another to slip a secret ballot during a vote at the podium.
Six posts of vice-presidents, secretaries and quaestors
Another appointment already made: Wednesday June 29, at 3 p.m. The political groups will then divide up the posts in the Bureau of the Assembly: vice-presidents, six in number, who will lead the debates in the hemicycle, in the absence of the president. They are assisted by twelve secretaries also chosen from among the deputies.
Added to this are three quaestors, who manage the administrative and logistical side of the Assembly, who will also be appointed. Generally, a quaestor comes from the opposition: this position is notably sought by Eric Ciotti for Les Républicains. The Nupes intends, there too, to present a candidate.
The distribution of all these positions is generally done by negotiation on the basis of points allocated to each group, according to its political weight. If the groups do not agree, a plenary vote is then organised.
A post of Chairman of the Finance Committee
Finally, it is Thursday that the strategic post of control of the state budget will be unveiled. It usually goes to an opposition group. Tradition has it that he therefore returns to the most extensive political group, in this case the National Rally, which intends to present Jean-Philippe Tanguy, former campaign director for Marine Le Pen. But the Nupes claims the title of first opposition force and will present either the rebellious Eric Coquerel or the socialist Valérie Rabault. The casting must be decided by Wednesday morning. Traditionally, the majority does not participate in the vote for this commission, leaving the oppositions to organize themselves. But some macronists, however, reserve the possibility of deciding between RN and left, this time.
For the other Commissions, it is generally the majority political force that wins all the presidencies. Macronie has appointed Sacha Houlié for the Law Commission, Guillaume Kasbarian for Economic Affairs and Fadila Khattabi for Social Affairs.