William Molinié, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: XOSE BOUZAS / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
According to information from Europe 1, senators and deputies will meet next Monday in a joint joint committee to try to reach an agreement on the military programming law. In the event of failure, the text will go back to second reading in both chambers and cannot be voted on before July 14, contrary to the timetable set by Emmanuel Macron.
The government and senators have entered a final week of intense negotiations over the military programming law which provides 413 billion euros for the armies over the period 2024-2030. Emmanuel Macron demanded a final vote before July 14, but a scenario could well delay this calendar and thwart the ambition of the president.
“A hard and difficult balance of power”
On the home stretch, the negotiation is tense between the senators and the government. It is “a hard and difficult balance of power”, blows a source at the heart of the negotiations. If the planned envelope of 413 billion euros is not called into question, the senatorial majority led by Les Républicains wants to accelerate the pace of equipment deliveries. In other words, to use the LPM money more quickly, a red line for the government. According to information from Europe 1, senators and deputies were to meet this Thursday to find a consensus. But the joint joint committee has been postponed to Monday, 10:30 a.m.
The sign for a parliamentarian that the government wants to give itself a few more days to ensure that a final text will come out at first reading. Because if this commission was not conclusive, the LPM would leave for a new examination in the two chambers, probably not before September. If that were to happen, it would be a nightmare scenario for the executive as Emmanuel Macron would not stick to the timetable he set last April. Above all, he could not rely on the adoption of this major text for July 14 and his traditional speech after the military parade.