Concretely, the founder of the Insoumis indeed criticizes “the coup de force” of the French president following the last legislative elections. The latter had seen the left front emerge victorious from the vote but it was finally on Michel Barnier, from the Republicans who came 4th in the election, that Macron’s choice fell for the post of prime minister. Outrage, consider the left-wing parties. “Democracy is not only the art of accepting having won, it is also the humility of accepting losing”, thundered Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Legislative elections in France: Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s strong words against Emmanuel Macron following the results
At the end of August, LFI deputies published their proposal to dismiss Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of “serious failure” in his “duty” by refusing to accede to the New Popular Front’s request to appoint Lucie Castets to Matignon, and calling on parliamentarians to support her to “defend democracy”.
A path strewn with pitfalls
But for there to be impeachment, a procedure fraught with pitfalls must be followed, regulated by Article 68 of the French Constitution. A mechanism introduced during the constitutional revision of 2007. “The President of the Republic may only be impeached in the event of a breach of his duties that is manifestly incompatible with the exercise of his mandate, the article states. Impeachment is pronounced by Parliament constituted as a High Court.”
For the LFI group, the only reason not to appoint a left-wing prime minister would constitute such a failure.
But if the decision of the High Court, taken by a two-thirds majority of its members, has an “immediate effect”, it still needs to be able to meet. And this is where the impeachment project supported by France Insoumise risks falling apart very quickly.
Macron’s dismissal “is a credible possibility”, assures La France Insoumise
To constitute the High Court, the process must be initiated by one of the two assemblies of Parliament, namely the National Assembly or the Senate. However, the Bureau, which must vote with an absolute majority of its members, could prevent the motion request from being transmitted to the General Assembly, considering it inadmissible and thus nipping the rebels’ project in the bud. In total, 22 deputies make up the Bureau. The left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), holds 12 seats. On paper, this could therefore pass.
But within the NFP, there are already disagreements. If the LFI elected officials and the environmentalists will support the motion, it is the three PS elected officials who will hold the cards. In the event of an unfavorable vote, there will be no dismissal. In the event of a favorable vote, the motion will be transmitted to the Law Commission where it must be adopted. Only then to the National Assembly. Where two-thirds of favorable votes will be needed to continue the procedure. Then, the Senate will have to take a position, also with a two-thirds majority.
If both the Senate and the National Assembly vote in favour, the High Court must meet within 15 days and vote, by secret ballot, for or against impeachment within the month.
La France Insoumise puts pressure on the PS
On Saturday, the dean of the Insoumis called on the French Socialist Party to allow the motion to impeach Emmanuel Macron, the admissibility of which must be examined this Tuesday by the bureau of the National Assembly. However, the PS did not want to join the motion as Mélenchon acknowledged. But “we do not [lui] We do not ask to agree. We [lui] “We ask you to agree to transmit,” and to “let the law commission sort it out,” he pleaded.
Division within the New Popular Front: the PS does not support the threat of dismissal of Emmanuel Macron brandished by La France insoumise
However, many observers are very doubtful about the chances of success of this procedure. “This is all cinema, it will not succeed”, thus dismissed the RN deputy Sébastien Chenu.
Questioned by AFP, Green MPs Eva Sas and Sébastien Peytavie confirmed that they would let the motion pass. “The motion is admissible, it would not be democratic to prevent the debate on impeachment,” argued Eva Sas. Former Socialist president and MP François Hollande indicated that he would not associate himself “in any way” with a procedure that “aims to call into question our institutions”, recommending “not to follow through”.
This is only the second impeachment proposal since 2007. The first was aimed at Hollande in 2014. And it did not succeed.
