in the Assembly, a bill adopted with difficulty after an eruptive session

“It’s contempt, it’s a shame! » The president of the communist group in the National Assembly, André Chassaigne, is exceeded. It is 2:10 am, Wednesday July 27, at the Palais-Bourbon, the deputy of Puy-de-Dôme advances towards the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, seated in the front row of a crowded Hemicycle for the end of the examination of the amending budget for 2022 financing the government’s measures in favor of purchasing power. In a burst of rage, he points the finger at the tenant of Bercy before leaving the premises. In its wake, all the elected representatives of the New People’s Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) and the National Rally (RN) are fuming.

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The object of their anger: the announcement by Mr. Le Maire, a few minutes before the final ballot, of a second deliberation on an amendment adopted at the start of the evening concerning the revaluation of retirement pensions. A measure adopted against the advice of the government, at an estimated cost of 500 million euros.

Points of order, suspensions

So far without a hitch, the session has changed. A dozen points of order, six adjournments in less than an hour… At the start of this fourth day of public sitting, the parliamentary groups had agreed to complete overnight the examination of this text which should make it possible to mitigate the effects of inflation and the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

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The situation quickly degenerated. So much so that the 80 elected members of the National Rally (RN) decide to leave a few moments before the vote on the amending finance bill (PLFR), leaving a whole section of the Hemicycle empty. Scenes of protest which illustrate the difficulties encountered by the presidential camp during these debates. Finally, the text was adopted at 3:45 a.m. with 293 votes for, 146 against and 16 abstentions. “You are playing with the nerves of the population”, accused the co-president of the environmental group, Julien Bayou, calling on the government and the majority to “to measure the impact in the opinion of [leurs] procrastination”.

The seats of the abstentionist deputies of the National Rally, during the discussion, in the National Assembly, of the amending finance bill for 2022, on July 27, 2022.

It all started with an amendment by the centrist MP for Marne, Charles de Courson (Freedoms, Independents, Overseas Territories and Territories), adopted against the advice of the government… and its author. By his proposal, Mr. de Courson intended to alert the government to the level of retirement pensions, considering that these should be revalued at the actual level of inflation, i.e. 5.5% for 2022, against 5.1% proposed by the government. The MP finally decided to withdraw his amendment. However, at the same time, the RN and environmentalists obtain a public vote on his proposal. By 186 votes against 181, the amendment is adopted with the votes of the Nupes, the RN and nine LR deputies, causing an explosion of joy.

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