Emmanuel Macron made the decision to dissolve the National Assembly. Pending the holding of the new legislative elections, on June 30 and July 7, all the work of the Assembly is suspended and the bills which were examined are abandoned.
After the thunderclap of the results of the European elections, June 9, 2024 also saw another earthquake: the dissolution of the National Assembly by Emmanuel Macron. “ I have decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through voting. I therefore dissolve the National Assembly this evening “, he declared during a speech, shortly after the announcement of the defeat of the presidential camp in the elections.
The president’s announcement has numerous repercussions on political life, starting with the holding of new legislative elections on June 30 and July 7, 2024. But it is not the only one: while waiting for the election of new deputies and the constitution of a new Assembly, all parliamentary work is suspended.
All texts under examination are “ considered abandoned »
Concretely, this suspension of parliamentary work means that “ all current texts are considered abandoned », as constitutionalist Anne-Charlène Bezina explained on Public Senate. The assembly being dissolved, no more debate can take place until the appointment of the next parliamentarians.
All the bills and proposed laws that were examined are considered null and void – that is to say that those which had not been voted on will simply have to start again at square one. So that they can resume their legislative journey and come into force, the texts must “ be re-submitted and examined again by the new assembly following the legislative elections, and follow the entire usual legislative process », recalls Marianne.
All texts are affected by abandonment, even those which had been examined for several weeks. This is particularly the case for the much-publicized end-of-life law, article 5 of which, establishing assistance in dying, had just been adopted. “ Failing to have been adopted at first reading before dissolution, examination of the text is considered null and void. », adds LCP.
Bills affected by the dissolution of the National Assembly
This is not the only bill affected. Numerous texts were under examination in the National Assembly, such as that on the reform of public broadcasting, which provided for the “ creation of a holding company ‘France Médias’ bringing together public TV and radio channels », and which was to be examined from June 24, 2024.
All texts on the agenda of the National Assembly are concerned. This is the case of the bill for the creation of a university hospital center in Corsica, which was to be examined on June 12; for the bill to protect the unemployment insurance model and support the employment of seniors, the amendments to which were to be examined from June 13; or the proposal on the creation of a road homicide and aimed at combating road violence, which was to go to 2nd reading on June 19, 2024.
Another consequence of the dissolution of the National Assembly: the commissions of inquiry are also interrupted, given that the deputies no longer exercise their mandate. Seven commissions of inquiry were underway, including “ aiming to establish the reasons for the very strong growth in French debt since the 2017 presidential election and its consequences on the purchasing power of the French » ; or the one “ relating to violence committed in the cinema, audiovisual, performing arts, fashion and advertising sectors Commission of Inquiry “.
Parliamentary work can resume after the elections
These projects and proposed laws do not “ are not necessarily destined to disappear », nevertheless reminds LCP, “ but their fate will depend on the result of the legislative elections “. Indeed, it is the deputies who will be elected during the elections of June 30 and July 7 who will form the new Assembly – and therefore they who will choose the agenda and the legislative calendar.
Depending on the majority that emerges during the elections, the scenarios will be very different. If Renaissance wins the majority again, as in the last legislative elections in 2022, there is a strong probability that the Assembly will resume its work where it left off. But if there is a change of majority – whether with the far right in the lead, with a left or right coalition – then the legislative calendar will almost certainly be disrupted.
The same goes for the commissions of inquiry: they will have to be recreated (or not) by the new members of the National Assembly.
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