On 20-Heures, Barnier calls on the RN to avoid censorship and save his government

POLITICS – Operation last dance. The Prime Minister, who loudly affirmed that he had not “ rolled on the ground » to take the head of the government, used numerous arguments this Tuesday, December 3 in the evening to convince the deputies not to censor him on Wednesday in the National Assembly. Even if it means directing its advocacy once again towards the extreme right.

Guest of the 8 p.m. news on TF1 and France 2 on the eve of a day which will undoubtedly mark the end of his lease at Matignon, Michel Barnier repeated his calls for responsibility, asking above all the elected representatives of the National Rally not to join their voices to those of the New Popular Front in the hemicycle. A concern for consistency, according to him, while this addition is necessary to bring him down.

To encourage Lepenists not to press the button, the Prime Minister did not hesitate to demonize the alliance of left-wing parties in the National Assembly, even if it meant, in mirror effect, increasingly institutionalizing the RN. An attempt which is in line with the action of the Savoyard at the head of the government, threatened today after having ceded (almost) everything to the flame party, both in form and in substance.

Last address in the RN

To the question of who would come “ to his aid » during the vote on the motions of censure, tabled in reaction to his 49.3 on the Social Security budget, the Prime Minister chose to underline the harsh words of the NFP in the text that the RN is preparing to vote on. All while repeatedly assuring that “the extreme left » and Jean-Luc Mélenchon « hold the pen » of this initiative. A misleading expression used on purpose, when the Prime Minister never uses the qualifier “ extreme right » to talk about Marine Le Pen and her movement.

« I would like to read you a sentence written by the extreme left and Mr. Mélenchon “, he began, before quoting the text signed and carried by the NFP: “ We blocked the far right. The Prime Minister has given in to their vilest obsessions… » And to insist: “ Is that respect? No, that's not respect. » Enough to demonstrate in his eyes that he gives more consideration to the Lepenist party and its voters than the left.

Offensive, Michel Barnier immediately invoked a recent proposed law on rebels which caused controversy in the political sphere. There is ” behind » the motion of censure, a “ recent proposal from the far-left group to make a bill to abolish the offense of glorifying terrorism, a few days after the tragic anniversary (of the Bataclan attack), he said. Too bad if the real text of the rebels does not quite say that, and above all, if the stakes of Wednesday's vote are not these: The motion of censure aims only to overthrow the government, not to propose an alternative project .

Le Pen showers the last hopes

Last piece in this almost desperate speech? A fact of the session, this Tuesday afternoon in the National Assembly when an LFI deputy shouted « our mistake » during a tribute to a former elected official who recently died – she has since explained having addressed a “ colleague ». « These people have no respect “, criticized the Prime Minister while recounting the scene on TF1 and France 2, as a possible reason for the RN not to vote for censorship with the left-wing deputies. Or as a way of calling Lepénist voters as witnesses.

For the Prime Minister, who wishes “ continue to serve » by focusing on a “reflex of responsibility”, it is above all a question of the future of France. “ The impact of political instability you will see immediately on the financial markets (…). If the motion passes, everything will be more difficult”he assured 20-Heures, in contrast to Emmanuel Macron who called, a few minutes earlier from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, to “ don't scare people » regarding a possible financial crisis.

In any case, this last-ditch attempt, once again aimed at the extreme right, did not bear fruit, according to the first reactions. No surprise. After a string of concessions and gestures towards him in recent weeks then a final scratch – he accused Marine Le Pen of ” overbidding » this Tuesday evening – the leader of the RN dampened the small hopes of Michel Barnier a few seconds after the end of his interview.

« By placing his budget in the catastrophic continuity of Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister could only fail », she wrote on social networks, leaving little room for doubt as to the attitude of her group at the fateful hour. And to add: “ On the other hand, he had the choice, and the duty, not to lie. » A final response, between darkness and indifference.

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