The independent group Liot pinned Monday “maneuvers” of the presidential camp to “prevent the vote” of their bill to repeal the pension reform, on the menu on June 8 of the National Assembly. The deputies of the majority (Renaissance, MoDem, Horizons) must meet Tuesday morning to collectively take a decision on the strategy to adopt on this text aimed at canceling the reform bringing the legal retirement age to 64 years. Some are looking for ways to avoid examining the Liot proposal, which they deem financially inadmissible, or how to prevent it from getting to its vote, at high risk.
“An unacceptable authoritarian drift”, warns the Liot group
A meeting on the subject was held on Sunday around Elisabeth Borne, in the presence of the bosses of the three groups, and the traditional Monday meeting of several ministers with the secretary general of the Elysée was also the occasion for a debate, we learned from government sources. Bertrand Pancher, leader of the Liot group (Freedoms, Independents, Overseas and Territories), warned Monday in a press release: “Wanting to prevent the National Assembly, the sole representative of the people, from deciding on this text would constitute a drift authoritarian unacceptable”. His bill is supported by all opposition outside LR.
Emmanuel Macron considered Sunday in the newspaper Opinion that on June 8, “for the majority, it will be an opportunity to continue to explain our project”. “Everyone will have to take their responsibilities and explain how we finance”, he added, quantifying the bill at 15 billion euros. The Liot group disagrees: this assessment “must be agreed by 2030”, but the proposal schedules the holding of a social conference in order to provide “new financing measures”.
Article 40 of the Constitution could be brandished
Majority and government cogitate around article 40 of the Constitution, which prescribes that proposals and amendments of parliamentarians are not admissible if they lead to a reduction in revenue or an increase in public charges. But at the time of its filing, the Liot proposal was deemed admissible by a delegation from the office of the Assembly, because it does indeed provide for compensation by a tax on tobacco for the loss of revenue for the Secu – a usual trick. The holder of the perch Yaël Braun-Pivet does not wish to reconsider this decision.
The budget rapporteur Jean-René Cazeneuve (Renaissance) therefore intends to brandish article 40 of the Constitution at one time or another, to try to block the way to the bill or to slow down the debates. The battle rages on the interpretation of the rules of the Assembly and its prerogatives in the matter.