Monday, March 20, 2023 a motion of censure is voted in response to the use of article 49-3 by the Government on the text of the pension reform law. A remedy that has only been adopted once under the Fifth Republic.
This Monday, March 20, 2023 is a decisive day in the National Assembly. Following the use of article 49-3 by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, a “transpartisan” motion of censure was tabled by the Liot group (Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories). Its ambition: to bring together the opposition around this vote. However, for many observers, this motion of censure has only a slim chance of success, despite fierce French opposition to the reform, supported by many celebrities. For it to be adopted, all the opposition would have to support it, which is not the case for the moment. But even if the necessary 287 votes are found, can the government be overthrown?
To try to answer this question, we must look at the precedents. Finally the previous one. Of the hundred motions of censure tabled since the beginning of the Fifth Republic, only one obtained the majority of votesand the effects of this premiere could not have been more discreet.
This motion dates from 1962, in a very different context. General de Gaulle is President of the Republic, and its Prime Minister is Georges Pompidou. While the General wishes to set up direct universal suffrage, he announces that he wants to submit a revision of the constitution in this direction to a referendum. A spontaneous motion of censure was tabled and adopted by the National Assembly on October 4, 1962. However, Charles de Gaulle refuses the resignation of Pompidou, and replies with the dissolution of the Assembly. After legislative elections in haste, the referendum is validated, and the constitution will indeed be modified. Georges Pompidou, meanwhile, will remain at Matignon in the process, and will form a second government which will last until 1966.
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What is a motion of censure?
The motion of censure is the main means that the National Assembly has to “control” the actions of the Government. When one of them is adopted, the Prime Minister must leave office as well as his ministers. Two types of motions of censure are possible in the Assembly: the spontaneous motion, as in 1962, and the provoked motion which we are currently witnessing, which intervenes in response to the use of article 49-3.
In order to table a motion of censure, one tenth of the deputies must sign it. As part of a provoked motion, MPs have 24 hours to request this appeal. Once tabled, a deadline of 48 hours must be respected before the vote, in order to give time to the deputies to mature their choice and to the Government to try to convince their hesitant supporters. After this time, votes must take place within three days. To be adopted, an absolute majority must absolutely be reached, i.e. 287 votes currently. Only “for” votes countabstentionists are therefore considered as supporters of the Government.
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