The NFP files a motion of censure against Michel Barnier, the first since his appointment

A threat carried out. This Friday, October 4, the members of the New Popular Front – socialists, rebels, ecologists and communists – tabled a motion of censure against Prime Minister Michel Barnier, the first since his appointment, three days after his general policy declaration. It will be defended by the First Secretary of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure on Tuesday October 8, and the vote will take place the same day at 5 p.m.

“The existence of this government, in its composition and its orientations, is a negation of the result of the last legislative elections”indicates the explanatory memorandum. But for the deputies of the New Popular Front, “the President of the Republic should have appointed to Matignon the personality proposed by the New Popular Front, the coalition having collected the greatest number of seats (193) in the National Assembly. It is then up to this personality to propose a government to the President of the Republic and to seek to build majorities text by text”.

Unsatisfactory political orientations

“Second reason for censorship” advance : “the political orientations of the Barnier government”in particular the refusal of the executive to return to the 2023 pension reform, and budgetary texts which promise to be “the most austerity of these twenty-five years”. Furthermore, “Michel Barnier seems to be content with empty words about defending the environment and the climate”accuse the socialist, communist, environmentalist and rebellious deputies.

“To vote on this motion of censure is to denounce the non-respect of republican tradition with the appointment of Michel Barnier to Matignon; it is to preserve our social model; it is to sanction a government which takes up the concepts and vocabulary of the extreme right is finally to protect the rule of law, which is an intangible principle”concludes the text, in an allusion to comments by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau (LR) which sparked an outcry.

A motion that should not be adopted

Even if it is voted for by all NFP deputies and a handful of deputies from other groups (Together for the Republic, Liot or non-registered for example), the motion of censure has very little chance of being adopted without the votes of the National Rally. RN deputy Laure Lavalette reaffirmed Thursday that the RN would not vote for it. “I think the situation is serious enough not to already censor this government in advance. We are going to, I was going to say, give the product a chance (…) we cannot add chaos like you are doing”she said on the set of France 2, facing NFP officials.

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To be adopted, the motion of censure must bring together the votes of the absolute majority of the members making up the National Assembly, and only the votes “pour” count.