The censorship of Michel Barnier is demanded by 325 deputies. The first motion, tabled by the four groups making up the New Popular Front, collected 185 signatures. Seven left-wing deputies did not sign the motion of censure, among them Sophie Pantel, deputy for Lozère. She explains her choice.
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The socialist deputy for Lozère, Sophie Pantel, announced that she would not support the motion of censure tabled by the left against the Government. A choice that she accepts and that she explains to us.
In terms of responsibility, I will not add difficulty to the difficulty and I will therefore not vote for this motion of censure which was tabled on the first text which comes back to the Assembly, the Social Security Financing Bill.
Sophie Pantel, MP for Lozère
It also specifies: “My position and that of my group are consistent with our attachment to parliamentarism. We have therefore sought, whenever possible, progress for the French, and with the left and sometimes the center, proposed ways of improvement..“ The MP particularly wants the government to change its method in order to work on transpartisan subjects such as medical demography.
She justifies her choice with four arguments:the absence of a clear political alternative, a joint vote with the RN, the questioning of expected means (New Caledonia, agriculture, Ukraine, nursing homes, etc.), the lack of investment in the special laws that will follow and , finally, the consequences for households with the loss of the few advances obtained in the parliamentary debatee.”
Censorship without a political solution will not change anything, according to her: “We will have to continue to suffer from Emmanuel Macron's policies. The National Assembly remains the same, and none of our texts oblige a government to submit its resignation. It is an institutional practice, and the President of the Republic is free to reappoint the same Prime Minister.“
She adds: “Contrary to what one may read or hear, the functioning of the State is assured, since the Constitution authorizes special laws allowing taxes to be levied, in particular, and, by decree, to make payments for operations. Our Constitution provides for all these hypotheses”. That is to say, there will be no investment budget to support sectors in crisis.
If Michel Barnier were censored this Wednesday, he would be forced to submit his resignation to the President of the Republic. Only current affairs would be taken care of. “So, the means for New Caledonia, for our overseas departments, the credits for supporting Ukraine, the bonuses for the Olympic security forces and the emergency credits for the agricultural crisis would not be integrated“, specifies Sophie Pantel.
According to the elected official, “the financial consequences for households and businesses could be worse than a very bad budget.” In particular, she puts forward the immediate increase in interest rates.
Member of the Finance Committee, Sophie Pantel specifies that the debt amounts to 3,200 billion euros and that the national and international situation is worsened: social plans in 2025, agricultural crisis, consequences for Ukraine, instability in the Middle -East.
Since Lozère, the most rural department in France, his position has not yet been commented on by his counterparts.