The Grégoire de Fournas affair did not shake the position of the RN, which did vote for the motion of censure of LFI. But with 188 votes for, this motion fails with a good hundred votes of the absolute majority, which is worth the adoption in first reading of the entire draft state budget for 2023. (PLF) thus passes to the Senate, where it will be examined in session from November 17.
The response to the fourth use of Article 49.3 of the Constitution by the government notably lacked the votes of the Socialists, allowing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to close a first chaotic chapter. “I do not confuse La France Insoumise and the National Rally”, she launched in the hemicycle. But, after the “abject insult” of the RN deputy, “the voices of the RN will join those” of LFI “once again”, she lamented just before the vote, judging that “the rebellious ambivalence reached its climax.
The right is biding its time
The LFI deputies had taken care to specify in their motion that their “project” and their “vision of society” “place them in frontal opposition with the far right”. “There must be no facade opposition, none of us must serve as a lifeline for this government”, however launched to “all parliamentarians” the rebellious Jean-Hugues Ratenon, at the opening of the debates, urging not to be afraid of “dissolution blackmail”.
No socialist, however, brought his voice to the LFI motion, “so as not to trivialize its use”, argued their speaker Jérôme Guedj. In total, 51 votes were missing among the 151 Nupes deputies (PS, EELV, PCF, LFI). The motion had in any case no chance of being adopted, for lack of support from the LR deputies. “If we deem it useful when the time comes, we will table our own motion of censure,” assured MP LR Véronique Louwagie.
Opposition amendments quickly dismissed
The Prime Minister defended her text tooth and nail, highlighting “massive means to achieve full employment”, “major investments for ecological transition”, and budget increases for sovereign ministries. She also assured that she had taken into account certain votes of the Assembly. In the “expenses” part, the executive mainly retained amendments made by the presidential camp, such as the increase in salaries for those accompanying disabled students or support for emergency accommodation. But he notably dismissed the 12 billion euros for the thermal renovation of housing, voted against his opinion.
In the “revenue” part, the government has also rejected the amendments voted, such as that of the PS for a tax credit for all residents in nursing homes. He had not retained either an amendment for a taxation of “superdividends”, a proposal from his ally Modem which had gathered support from the opposition and even within Renaissance.