DIRECT. Motions of censure against the Barnier government: follow this decisive end of the day with us

How will the end of the day go?

The afternoon's proceedings were detailed by La Dépêche, which joined the Assembly. Our colleagues explain that the discussion on the motions will start at 4 p.m. Each group president will give a speech, before Michel Barnier takes his turn to speak, around 6:30 p.m. Still according to La Dépêche, the vote on the first motion should be launched at 7 p.m. censorship, for a result expected around 7:30 p.m.

“A call for a moral surge”, proclaims Boris Vallaud

According to Boris Vallaud, NFP deputy for Landes, this motion of censure is a “call for a moral surge”. “Mr Prime Minister, at no time did you let us improve your project. It is unfair and ineffective,” he insisted. “At no time did you enter into dialogue with the opposition of the left and the ecologists. All your energy was therefore devoted to appeasing the ambitions of Mr. Attal, to satisfying Mr. Wauquiez, to ensuring the goodwill of Madame Le Pen. I understand that it was first of all between them, and with them, that you had to find compromises.”

Marine Le Pen announces “the end of an ephemeral government”

“We have arrived at the moment of truth. A parliamentary moment unprecedented since 1962 which will seal, in all likelihood, the end of an ephemeral government, of circumstance and ultimately of appearance”, for her part, anticipated Marine Le Pen , the president of the National Rally group in the Assembly. “Over these three short months, it appeared that you were in reality at the head of a government devoid of any democratic basis,” she added. “The National Assembly will very likely censor, in a few minutes, this optical illusion.”

“We are making history today,” insists Eric Coquerel

First to speak, Eric Coquerel spoke to Michel Barnier. “Today we are making history. You, because you are going to be the only Prime Minister to be censored since Georges Pompidou in 1962. Me, because I have the honor of bringing this motion of censure”, a- he declared, then denouncing “the absolute illegitimacy in the face of universal suffrage”. “You finally tried to compromise, but with the extreme right, this National Rally that you favored in violation of the Republican barrier which was expressed by the majority last July.”

Yaël Braun-Pivet opens the session

The President of the National Assembly opened the session, recalling the agenda and the two motions of censure tabled after the use of 49.3 used by Michel Barnier. She then gave the floor to Eric Coquerel, president of the Finance Committee and LFI deputy for the 1st constituency of Seine-Saint-Denis.

Michel Barnier on his way to the Assembly

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., Prime Minister Michel Barnier left Matignon to take the road to the Assembly. Appointed by Emmanuel Macron on September 5, the head of government, aged 73, is entering decisive hours more than ever.

A close adoption in 2023

One of the latest motions of censure to date came close to adoption. While pension reform ignites debates and provokes massive mobilization in the streets of France, Elisabeth Borne, then Prime Minister, decides to activate 49.3 to pass the text. Two motions of censure were then tabled and examined on March 20, 2023. The first, at the initiative of the Liot group (Libertés, independents, overseas and territories), came close to adoption: 278 deputies voted for. It took 287 to bring down the Prime Minister.

Only one precedent: in 1962

The only motion of censure that hit the mark dates back to the early hours of the Fifth Republic. In 1962, the government of Georges Pompidou saw this vote prove fatal: 280 votes were collected against the 241 necessary. The question of universal suffrage was then at stake. Since then, no similar text has succeeded, despite more than 150 attempts.

A number: 289

On everyone's lips, one number: 289. This is the number of votes that one of the two motions of censure must collect to be adopted and bring down the Barnier government. Note that if the text of the NFP, which will therefore be debated first, obtains this threshold, the motion of censure tabled by the National Rally will not need to go through the voting box.

Two motions filed against Michel Barnier

Following the use of 49.3 by the Prime Minister, two motions of censure were tabled. The first was by the New Popular Front, the second by the National Rally. They must be debated in the National Assembly from 4 p.m.

Also read:
Government threatened with censorship: Michel Barnier still believes in its “political survival”, what we should remember from his intervention

Hello and welcome to this live

Readers of Center Presse Aveyron, hello and welcome to this live dedicated to the debate on motions of censure in the National Assembly, this Wednesday, December 4, 2024.