PARIS (Reuters) – The motion of censure tabled by the left-wing alliance Nupes against the government of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was rejected on Monday, without surprise, in the National Assembly.
It collected only 146 votes out of the 289 required for its adoption, announced the President of the Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet. That is five less than the 151 elected members of the alliance.
Forced to form a minority government after the June legislative elections which saw the alliance supporting President Emmanuel Macron lose an absolute majority (289 elected), Elisabeth Borne chose not to seek a vote of confidence after her general policy speech , last Wednesday.
The New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) responded to this decision by filing a motion of “no confidence”.
But the other opposition groups, including the National Rally (extreme right, 89 deputies) had warned that they would not vote for it, in particular not to hinder the rapid adoption of a law intended to support purchasing power. of the French in the face of high inflation.
The president of the group of La France insoumise (LFI), Mathilde Panot, had opened the debate by considering that Elisabeth Borne was at “this function a democratic anomaly”.
“It is logical that the refusal of trust reaps distrust,” she said.
The elected representative of Val-de-Marne had estimated, addressing the Prime Minister and the groups, that the vote would allow a “clarification” between “those who want to wage social and ecological war with you and those who will lead the battle against you”, denouncing in passing “the president of lobbies who drives for Uber”.
An allusion to an alleged agreement between Uber and Emmanuel Macron, while he was at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, reported by Le Monde and its partners in the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
In response, Elisabeth Borne denounced a “posture motion”.
“Today we could be acting for the French people. Instead, we are debating a motion of censure stitched together with trials of intentions which obstructs parliamentary work and, therefore, the will of the French,” she lamented.
“Unlike the signatories of your motion of censure, we are bringing solutions, not dissolution,” she continued, reiterating the call for compromise made last Wednesday during her general policy statement.
“Our hand will always be extended to the forces of the Republican arc,” she said, saying she was convinced that she could “overcome some of our preconceptions”.
“The compromise is not a lowered ambition,” pleaded the Prime Minister, promising to examine “fairly” all the proposals, “text after text”.
“I can’t bring myself to this glaciation,” she said.
(Tangi Salaün and Sophie Louet, edited by Camille Raynaud)