After having proposed before the Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly a law aimed at reintegrating suspended caregivers, La France Insoumise (LFI) withdraws its proposal, it was announced on Wednesday December 7 in a press release. The party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon as well as the NUPES in its entirety refused that this text be taken up by the parliamentary niche of the National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen. “There has never been and there will never be an agreement of our group with the extreme right”, affirms the parliamentary group of LFI.
On Wednesday, November 16, LFI deputy Caroline Fiat proposed before the National Assembly’s Social Affairs Committee a law aimed at reinstating caregivers suspended for non-vaccination against Covid-19 in return for a “drastic health protocol”. The proposal comes in a context of shortage of personnel in the hospital environment and the question has been causing, for months, strong tensions between the leaders of the sector, the caregivers and elected officials, in the press or in the Assembly, in particular on 24 November during the day reserved for the Insoumis. The Macronists, opposed to this measure, had played the clock by extending the debates until midnight, arousing the ire of opposition from all sides who denounced an “obstruction”.
“There will never be an agreement with the far right”
Tuesday, December 6, the RN announced to resume the text, yet signed by Caroline Fiat and without the agreement of LFI, and its inclusion on the agenda of its parliamentary group. However, the deputy Insoumise being the only rapporteur, the parliamentary group of LFI thus decided to defend it during the day devoted to the RN at the Assembly, on January 12, 2023. “If they want to leave half of their niche to us, that’s up to them”, the Insoumis have justified themselves.
It was without counting on the reaction of the parties of the NUPES coalition. “Not that!” ex-communist presidential candidate Fabien Roussel reacted on Twitter: the decision of the LFI deputies to defend the bill alongside the RN parliamentarians quickly made people cringe. The first secretary of the Socialist Party (PS), Olivier Faurecalled on LFI not to fall “in this trap with both feet”reacting to a tweet from Caroline Fiat who denied “all agreement” between LFI and the RN: “They took over my text without my consent”she pointed out.
On Wednesday, the parliamentary group of LFI-Nupes puts the points on the i through a communiquéin which the party announces the withdrawal of “this text unfortunately blocked by government obstruction”. “We strongly condemn the lies aimed at making people believe in an agreement between LFI and the RN. There never is and there will never be an agreement of our group with the extreme right”hammers LFI. “We will table a new bill, co-signed with the overseas deputies of all the political groups who so wish”lit.
“The suspended caregivers are not intended to serve the communication blows of the RN”, the statement continues.
The announcement by LFI and NUPES of this decision satisfied the deputies of the coalition. Just like Olivier Faure encorewho writes that “the RN plays” most “not the left”. Green MP Sandrine Rousseau hailed a “good choice”. “We will never support a text carried by the RN. This party is outside the Republican field”, lit-on.
The RN denounces a “total lack of consideration” of the Insoumis
The National Rally naturally reacted in turn to the decision of the LFI parliamentary group. In a statement released the same day, the party led by Marine Le Pen said “outraged by the parliamentary obstruction led by the government on Caroline Fiat’s text on the reinstatement of suspended caregivers”.
“La France Insoumise reveals”, by removing this text, “his total lack of consideration for the defense of the general interest. Suspended caregivers, especially those overseas who are sorely lacking in our overseas compatriots, will appreciate the sectarianism of La France Insoumise”who “prefers to sacrifice caregivers by withdrawing his text rather than seeing it discussed on the occasion of the parliamentary day reserved for the RN group”lit.
“Contrary to what they said, the remaining 59 amendments could have been discussed quickly and the text voted on. This low political surrender speaks volumes”, affirms the RN, which accuses the party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon of being, “after the second round of the presidential election”, “the objective ally of Emmanuel Macron. Macronistes and Insoumis therefore prevent suspended caregivers from returning to hospitals and other medical practices..