Nearly one voice. The National Assembly rejected, Thursday, February 9, with extreme accuracy a text of the Socialist deputies proposing access to meals at 1 euro for all students – a price today reserved for scholarship holders and precarious.
The fate of this bill, examined at first reading, was decided by one vote (183 « pour »184 ” against “), after the presidential camp, hostile to this measure, defeated in extremis the recall of the troops for the final vote. Seven LR deputies also voted against (four abstained). The text, supported by the entire left, had also received the support of the deputies of the National Rally.
“I am disappointed, except for one vote, the universal meal at 1 euro was enshrined in law, but it is above all the students who will be disappointed today”said Socialist MP Fatiha Keloua-Hachi, who carried this text as part of a day reserved for her group. “The Renaissance and LR deputies rejected our proposal for (…) the meal at 1 euro for all students. So that all students can eat their fill. The fight goes on “reacted in a tweet the group’s president, Boris Vallaud.
A “demagogic” measure
The first victorious votes on amendments hinted at a possible socialist victory, before the presidential camp mobilized deputies for the final vote. Macronist deputies fought a measure judged “unfair”insisting that it would also have benefited students from wealthy backgrounds.
MP Anne Brugnera (Renaissance) pinned a measure “demagogic”. “Thanks to you, the children of your friend Bernard Arnault will be able to go to the Crous and only pay one euro”, added his colleague Sylvain Maillard. Alexandre Portier (LR) had pleaded, for his part, for access to the price of 1 euro to be conditional on a commitment of “working two hours a week in the service of a local community”.
Minister of Higher Education Sylvie Retailleau argued against the measure, the cost of which she estimated at at least “90 million euros”. She underlined the existence of social tariffs for meals for “students in difficulty”. The 1 euro meal had been temporarily extended to all students in 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As specified Releasean EELV parliamentary source confirmed that some environmental deputies – in particular the president of the group, Cyrielle Chatelain – could not take part in the vote, however tight, on Thursday, because they participated in the launch of the general states of ecology on a Parisian barge.
Asked about the subject, the leader of the Socialist deputies, Boris Vallaud, put their absence into perspective: “The subject is not those who were able to vote for, but those who voted against. No bogus trial”he demanded. “The macronie, party of the rich and contempt, rejects the meal at 1 euro for all students (90 million), but increases by 100 million unrequited aid to businesses”for his part, rose up on Twitter the leader of rebellious France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.