“LFI’s postures are irresponsible and unworthy”: tension in the National Assembly rebounds in Aveyron

The image marked the news and opinion. Last Thursday, it was almost 11 p.m. when in the National Assembly, a Modem deputy was on the verge of physically attacking a parliamentarian from the New Popular Front. He will ultimately be retained. “I lost my temper”he reacted the next day. The scene is nevertheless revealing: rarely has the hemicycle experienced such tension, between the numerous amendments on a finance law called to be adopted via a 49-3, new grueling and harsh debates on the repeal of the pension reform or even the threat of an upcoming dissolution of the government…. in short, the nerves of the deputies are put to the test. And in Aveyron too, the tension is growing stronger and stronger, between each camp. After this stormy week, it was Stéphane Mazars who took up his pen, in an open letter published on social networks this weekend, to call “to dignity and a sense of responsibility”. In the viewfinder of the Macronist deputy of the first constituency, La France Insoumise.

Mercosur

“This week, the postures of this group are particularly worrying, with die-hard, extremist attitudes”he writes, while listing several tense episodes of the week. First of all, on the famous Mercosur, which provoked new anger among the peasant world. Recently targeted and attacked on the subject of free trade treaties, the deputy Mazars, presidential support, recalls that he opposed, like the vast majority of his counterparts (485 against 69), the ratification of the trade agreement during a vote earlier this week. A consultative vote, remember, because the treaty is in the hands of the European Union. “But once again, LFI was opposed. However, it was about coming together to support, not the government, but our farmers and, through them, our French agricultural model”laments the elected official of the first constituency.

“Ignominy”, “absurd”, RN88…

“Equally worrying and irresponsible are the proposed laws presented by LFI deputies in recent days”he continues. And to list the proposal to repeal the pension reform on Thursday, “a devastating idea for the sustainable balance of financing our pensions when today we are 1.7 workers for 1 retiree”. Also that of the rebellious deputy Ugo Bernalicis to repeal the offense of advocating terrorism, “height of ignominy in the middle of the trial for the assassination of Professor Samuel Paty! It’s yet another provocation!” And to the Aveyron MP to alert us to another proposal, which this time went more unnoticed: that of stopping all major road projects by establishing a 10-year moratorium. “An absurd text which ignores the reality of the territories”comments Stéphane Mazars, citing here the famous project to upgrade the RN88 to 2×2 lanes between Rodez and Sévérac-d'Aveyron, a “essential issue for the department”.

LFI responds

So many grievances which did not go unanswered. It came from the local party, and not from the rebellious Aveyron representative in the Assembly, Laurent Alexandre, who this week also denounced the “macronists” on several occasions on his networks. This Saturday, it was Leïla Arfoutni and Pierre Desfontaines, leaders of the 1st district, who indicated in a press release that Stéphane Mazars “is not in a position to give lessons”. “Member since 2017, support of Emmanuel Macron and all the governments which have succeeded one another over the past 7 years and which have led us to this unprecedented crisis situation, is he credible? Where is the responsibility when he supports a budget which wants withdraw 300 euros from retirees by next July, cut 4,000 teaching positions, increase energy taxes, reduce reimbursements for health costs but also withdraw 11 billion euros to local authorities?”they write.

And to respond in particular to the three subjects put forward by Stéphane Mazars. Mercosur? “LFI parliamentarians have been consistent for several years in their opposition. They have voted against on every occasion, whether in the National Assembly or the European Parliament, which is not the case for Stéphane Mazars and the Macronist parliamentarians. ” The moratorium on highway projects? “The example of the complete opacity of the Castres-Toulouse motorway project demonstrates the urgency of rethinking these projects. For a time saving of 20 minutes, the cost would be 500 million euros and the toll would be the most expensive in France (8 euros for 50 kilometers).” The repeal of the offense of condoning terrorism from the penal code? “Mr. Mazars is exploiting the assassination of Samuel Paty. It is despicable. He is peddling fake news from the extreme right. The legislation prohibits and punishes the promotion of terrorism. Fortunately, no one wants to change that. Which is at issue today is that the new provisions included in 2014 are used improperly to prosecute union activists, politicians and supporters of peace, because they have taken firm positions against the risk of genocide Palestinians”…