A heated altercation in the middle of the hemicycle. The MoDem deputy for Vienne, Nicolas Turquois, lost his temper with parliamentarians from the New Popular Front on the evening of Thursday, November 28 at the National Assembly. Tensions appeared on the sidelines of the debate on the repeal of the pension reform. Franceinfo looks back at what we know about this (rare) incident within the hemicycle.
A first altercation with a socialist deputy
Tension rose to a crescendo on Thursday evening as deputies examined the amendments tabled by the Macronists and the right concerning the rebels' proposed law to repeal the pension reform. Around 10 p.m., an incident was provoked by the MoDem deputy Nicolas Turquois, with the socialist deputy Mickaël Bouloux, regarding the “pressures” received because of its opposition to repeal.
The centrist MP explains, on BFMTV, that he “interpellated” the socialist deputy about a list, “widely distributed by the LFI networks”on which the names of parliamentarians appear. La France insoumise has in fact published the names of the Macronist and right-wing deputies who opposed the repeal of retirement at 64, by practicing obstruction with the tabling of a thousand amendments.
According to the centrist MP, threats and insults were received by his family in connection with this list. Nicolas Turquois explains that he addressed the socialist deputy, because Mickaël Bouloux “personally knows my relatives and I asked him what he thought of the methods of the LFI deputies”. The incident between the two deputies causes a suspension of the session.
A second altercation with a rebellious deputy
When the session was suspended, Nicolas Turquois had another altercation, this time with LFI deputy Antoine Léaument. In the images filmed directly by the deputies, a crowd takes place in the middle of the hemicycle of Assembly ushers who then intervene between several deputies at the foot of the perch. We see Nicolas Turquois leaving then returning within the crowd towards Antoine Léaument. The president of the MoDem group Marc Fesneau intervenes with bailiffs. Nicolas Turquois then leaves the hemicycle.
After the session is suspended, Antoine Léaument will speak at the Assembly to declare to the MoDem group: “Your colleague came to threaten me. Fortunately, Mr. Fesneau, that you were there to detain the colleague of your group and that the bailiffs intervened, because otherwise I'm not sure that I wouldn't have taken a hit.”
For his part, Nicolas Turquois explains on BFMTV that he did not have “no desire to give him a 'donut', as he says. He first insulted me so I went towards him dynamically, let's say that, to express myself with him”. For his part, Antoine Léaument at the franceinfo microphone denies any insult and claims to have told Nicolas Turquois “to go out” : “He came down towards me, I kept asking him to leave, he told me that because of me he was being threatened on social media. I don't know why, I didn't of tweet before this incident on Mr. Turquois I told him: 'Because of your pension reform people could lose two years of life at work', and I think that's what led to him afterwards. has completely gone off its hinges.”
Nicolas Turquois apologizes
In a press release on Friday, MoDem deputy Nicolas Turquois apologized. “This behavior, in the same way as the questioning of my loved ones, is not appropriate in a democracy”declares the deputy who says he is at the disposal of the office of the National Assembly.
MP Modem admitted on BFMTV to having “lost a nerve” and said “regret” the altercation that followed, while denouncing “scavengers” among his peers. On France Bleu Poitou on Friday morning the day after the altercation, the centrist deputy declared that “it's not acceptable as such to appear on a list, but when your loved ones receive it, well it's collectively, your family, who doesn't take it well…”
For her part, the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet strongly condemns “the incidents and would like to point out that invectives and altercations have no place in the hemicycle and deplores the sad spectacle given to the French”. She indicates that she will soon bring together the office of the National Assembly to rule on the case of Nicolas Turquois.
