will the vote in the National Assembly make “the masks fall”?

The debate on France’s support for Ukraine is being held on Tuesday in the National Assembly and promises to be heated. This was also Emmanuel Macron’s intention when he took this initiative. At the Élysée, they say they hope that the “masks will fall”.

The debate, scheduled for Tuesday March 12 in the Assembly on France’s support for Ukraine, should allow the French to clearly distinguish the two camps, that of “support for the Ukrainian resistance”, and the other, described as “Russian pro”. This is the aim of the purely indicative vote which will follow the debate, which will be based on the content of the bilateral security agreement signed by Presidents Macron and Zelensky. The executive wants to make the war in Ukraine a subject of domestic politics. And the oppositions cannot refuse it: they can hardly blame the government for giving them the floor in the hemicycle and requesting a vote. The Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, will kick off the debates around 4:30 p.m., before the intervention of the political groups, then a vote, without binding value, expected around 8 p.m.

“War mongering” and the “peace camp”

The attitude of France led by Emmanuel Macron should not be approved by two groups essentially: the National Rally and France Insoumise, who hesitate between abstention and voting against. The two groups use exactly the same arguments: MPs from the far right and those from the radical left will today criticize what they call “warmongering” by Emmanuel Macron. They will accuse him of preparing to send French troops on the ground, which the head of state has not said, and which does not appear in the Franco-Ukrainian bilateral agreement.

To justify their refusals, the Lepenist leaders and their Mélenchonist counterparts even brandished the same two “red lines” this weekend: according to them, France must oppose Ukraine’s eventual membership in the European Union and NATO. Which is the position defended by Moscow. The coordinator of the Insoumis, Manuel Bompard, goes even further since he wants Westerners to grant Vladimir Putin “security guarantees”as if it was Russia that had been attacked by Ukraine.

These opponents claim to be from the “peace camp”, almost with the same words. RN and LFI wish for a large “peace conference” bringing together the belligerents around the same table. A way of ratifying the partition of Ukraine since Vladimir Putin’s troops occupy a good part of the country. A reissue in line with their previous positions. Jean-Luc Mélenchon repeats that “Crimea is Russian” and Marine Le Pen recognized the annexation by Vladimir Putin, against the advice of the international community.