A few weeks ago, LR deputies and senators would not have expected to see so many journalists at their parliamentary days in Aix les Bains for the former and Annecy for the latter. The appointment of one of their own to Matignon has put the fifth force in the Assembly and the first in the Senate back at the center of the game. With nearly 180 parliamentarians, the right is counted and reassured when its lack of legitimacy to govern the country is mentioned after two electoral failures in the European and legislative elections. “It is true that we got 6.5% in the legislative elections (score of LR and various right-wing candidates). But at the same time, we are the only ones who agree to do the job because the situation is serious. The right has taken its responsibilities and the French would have been very angry with us if we had stood idly by […] While no group has the majority anyway,” underlines the senator from Paris, Agnès Evren. “Having many parliamentarians has a reassuring side for the head of state,” believes the deputy Michèle Tabarot who forgets to specify that only the deputies have the power to overthrow the government by a motion of censure and Laurent Wauquiez’s group only has about forty deputies.
“No reserved areas but shared areas” with the Prime Minister
When the Prime Minister arrived at the Annecy convention center, the leading figures of the right gave him a welcome that was, if one can call it, republican. Gérard Larcher, Bruno Retailleau, the president of the group in the Senate, and his counterpart in the Assembly, Laurent Wauquiez, as well as the department’s parliamentarians, formed a guard of honor for his exit from the car.
Inside the Congress Center, the closed-door meeting was just as “warm” according to the participants. The Prime Minister spoke for thirty minutes to assure the parliamentarians that the “legislative pact” presented by Laurent Wauquiez and Bruno Retailleau would be “the basis” of his government program. While in recent days, the Republicans had expressed fears about Michel Barnier’s room for maneuver, the latter reportedly told the parliamentarians that he did not believe in the reserved areas of the head of state “but in areas shared” with the Prime Minister.
If in front of the Macronist parliamentarians on Monday, Michel Barnier had affirmed that it was not a reshuffle but a new government”, some senators like Alain Joyandet or Bruno Retailleau speak of “cohabitation”. “We are in a situation that brings us closer to cohabitation” declared Bruno Retailleau during a statement to the press. The Prime Minister assured the elected representatives of the right “that he felt at home among the elected LR and that Matignon was their home”. He nevertheless recalled that he did not have the majority. The essential thing for the coming months was then “that the right-wing base be larger than that of the left” in the Assembly.
“We are certain that he will not be a collaborator but a full-fledged Prime Minister”
“We were very happy to welcome Michel Barnier, who is from our political family. His appointment is excellent news because we are convinced that he has the qualities to succeed. He will have the very clear support of all our parliamentarians, which could go as far as participation in the government,” confirmed Laurent Wauquiez, stressing that this was not the initial position of his group. What changed the situation? The appointment of a right-wing Prime Minister “and because we cannot leave the country blocked for months,” he justified.
On this subject, the parliamentarians obtained guarantees from the Prime Minister concerning the application of their legislative pact presented in July. “We have presented 13 legislative texts and now we are certain that he will not be a collaborator but a full-fledged Prime Minister […] “We want the Prime Minister to lead a policy for the national majority,” insisted Bruno Retailleau, citing the priorities: “tax cuts, revaluation of work, less immigration, more security.”
“The plural right is the right plus nothing”
There are still several unresolved questions: which LR to govern and with whom? Michel Barnier insisted before the elected representatives on the need to renew the government. The right is counting on a dozen portfolios including Justice, the Interior and Bercy. As for whether the two group presidents Laurent Wauquiez and Bruno Retailleau will participate? “They are ready,” their entourage replied soberly.
On Tuesday at the parliamentary days, Horizons, Edouard Philippe affirmed that elected officials from his group would also participate in the government. Enough to imagine a plural right composed of LR and the outgoing majority. A former majority that the right did not fail to scratch in recent years. “Excuse me, but reforms were made only because there was support from the Republicans. My group has demonstrated for two years that we were capable of working with everyone,” objected MP Alain Marleix.
“The plural right is the right plus nothing. It will be the strong right that expresses convictions,” Senator Marc-Philippe Daubresse exclaims. Not sure that the Macronist camp, which has a hundred members of parliament, will agree.
