Nearly 300 deputies and senators demand a supervised return of the parliamentary reserve

2023-10-31 09:18:14

Nearly 300 deputies and senators from all sides asked the presidents of the two chambers on Monday for a “supervised” return of the parliamentary reserve. This is an envelope available to elected officials to award subsidies, which was eliminated in 2017.

Such an initiative could contribute to “revitalizing the territories”, estimate the 281 signatory deputies and senators, in a transpartisan letter put online on the website of the daily Ouest-France. The signatories claim to have tabled “organic law proposals aimed at re-establishing a new, better-regulated practice of the parliamentary reserve for the benefit of small rural communities and local associations”.

“A rigorous system of transparency and control”

This “local funding” should be restored, but by correcting the defects of the system abolished six years ago, in particular to remedy the lack of transparency “which has fueled a suspicion of cronyism”, they argue. “To guarantee the proper use of public funds, a rigorous system of transparency and control will be put in place,” assure the parliamentarians who claim to have received the support of the influential Association of Mayors of France (AMF).

They “solemnly” ask the presidents of the two chambers “to include on the agenda of Parliament one of our legislative proposals aimed at re-establishing a new, better-regulated practice of the parliamentary reserve”.

Among the signatories are 126 LR parliamentarians, including the party’s general secretary Annie Genevard, as well as several members of the majority such as MoDem Olivier Falorni, Horizons André Villiers and Renaissance Karl Olive, as well as around sixty RN elected officials , like Sébastien Chenu or the sovereignist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan. On the left, four socialists and related parties support the approach, like MP Cécile Untermaier, as well as three Insoumis including Sébastien Delogu.