In the National Assembly,
“We are like turkeys waiting for Christmas,” said last week the boss of MoDem deputies, Marc Fesneau. Michel Barnier and his ministers should therefore not see the end of year celebrations. The Prime Minister held his government accountable for the Social Security budget this Monday in the National Assembly. A 49.3 that looks like a leap into the void, since Michel Barnier should be censored on Wednesday by the voices of the left and the National Rally.
“We knew that the RN was the referee”
Until the end, however, the former Brexit negotiator tried to obtain an agreement with the RN to avoid the fall. In the morning, the Prime Minister picks up his phone to call Marine Le Pen. And in the process, Matignon publishes a press release reporting a new concession in the shopping list drawn up by the three-time presidential candidate: the abandonment of “drug reimbursement” in 2025. At noon, in the corridors of the Assembly, RN deputy Philippe Ballard can only give the point. “They are finally taking into consideration our 11 million voters in the legislative elections.” Michel Barnier seems to be offering himself a little air. But that’s without taking into account the gluttonous appetite of the first group in the National Assembly.
Because a few minutes before the session, Marine Le Pen went in front of the journalists to remind us of yet another red line: “We have tabled an amendment on the renunciation of the deindexation of pensions. It’s up to the government to accept it or not to accept it.” A little further on, the elected representative of the Liot group and ex-macronist Paul Molac grimaces: “By putting Barnier in Matignon, we knew that the RN was the arbiter. Today we come to this lying poker game between the two…”
“Barnier is worse than Borne and Attal”
The suspense ends around 3:30 p.m., when Michel Barnier takes the podium. The Prime Minister evokes “a moment of truth” while addressing the national representation. “It’s up to you to decide whether our country adopts responsible, essential and useful financial texts. Or if we are entering uncharted territory.” Before activating 49.3, Michel Barnier urges elected officials to “prefer the future of the Nation” over “special interests”. On her bench, Marine Le Pen pouted, arms crossed. At no time was the indexation of pensions mentioned. Unsurprisingly, Mathilde Panot very quickly announced the filing of a motion of censure: “He will have both dishonor and censure on Wednesday,” predicts the boss of the rebels. She points out in particular the concessions made to the RN on taxes on electricity or on State medical aid.
The latest news on the 2025 budget
Not surprisingly either, the RN announces that it will vote for censure. “Barnier is ultimately worse than Borne and Attal. There is a hypocritical side. He gives crumbs to make people believe in a gesture, but behind it, it's the same contempt, squeaks the elected RN Thomas Ménage. He played thinking that there would be no censorship. However, we were clear on the indexation of pensions. Either he didn’t understand, or he’s a suicide bomber.”
Within the “central bloc”, we are trying to put pressure on the opposition, but without believing in it. “The Prime Minister has tried to compromise, but for that, it takes two. But the RN always had more requests. And the left refused to sit down at the table,” regrets Macronist Jean-René Cazeneuve. His colleague Eric Woerth adds: “It's not Barnier's failure, he did what he could without going to excess. It is the failure of the RN and its inability to behave like a government party.” The “poker game” over, it is Michel Barnier who is about to leave the table.
