18 days after the second round in the legislative elections, the parliamentarians rewind the great oral by Elisabeth Borne, symbolizing the beginning of the quinquenium.
Let’s face facts: Journalists sometimes overuse the term “historical”. However, it is a moment in history that was witnessed at the Palais-Bourbon on Wednesday. A speech on general policy was delivered by a female Prime Minister before the National Assembly, which was chaired for the first time. Elisabeth Borne, Yael Braun–Pivet, and Yael Braun–Pivet were the new faces at the top institutions of the Republic.
“The time has come for women, and it is historic. During her speech on the podium, Aurore Berge (president of the group Macronist deputies) stated that the time has come for women and it will continue. She was preceded by Marine Le Pen, president, National Rally group, as well as Mathilde Panot (president, group of “rebellious”) deputies. The problem is that there are 37% fewer women deputies than in the previous legislature.
Simone Veil is a person whose courage and strength inspires me at the desk. The sentence is heavy with meaning, even though the right to abortion is the subject of a debate on its constitutionalization. Only thirty-one year after Edith Cresson, Elisabeth Borne was the second female Prime Minister of France. She supported her speech by naming great female politicians. The Matignon tenant said, “The fight will go on until equality is not in question.” With Elisabeth Borne as the leader, will the great cause for the quinquenium gain in importance?
Although the majority of these figures are relative, the Prime Minister is still keen to reform. Before the deputies Elisabeth Borne reiterated that the executive is working on the pension file. She explained that the French will need to “work slowly a little longer”. This caused a bronca from the Hemicycle’s left. The government plans to renationalize 100% of EDF and pass an energy-climate law in September. Elisabeth Borne pledged “radical responses for the ecological emergency”, while advocating an “ecosystem of progress”.
Expected announcement: The Borne government plans to finally deconjugalize the allowances for disabled adults. The Prime Minister announced that the Culture Pass will be extended to sixth grade, and that 200,000 childcare spaces will be created.
It also confirms that Pole emploi will be renamed France Travail. The Prime Minister is aiming to attain full employment (around 5%) under this new banner. She estimated that the unemployment rate of 7.3% is already “the lowest in 15 years”
Elisabeth Borne admitted that her political circumstances required her to alter her government method: “The French elected an Assembly with no absolute majority. They encourage us to try new practices, to continue dialogue and to seek compromise. The Prime Minister must seek out the votes of the opposition deputies text after text. She said that project majorities was a new chapter in the history of our political and parliamentary politics.
But who is it? Borne has been conducting consultations with various parliamentary groups in recent weeks. She wanted to display it. She did this by mentioning the presidents of the groups one after another in her speech: Olivier Marleix, (Les Republicains LR), and Jean-Paul Mattei, (MoDem) when addressing taxation; Julien Bayou, Cyrielle Chatelain, (Europe Ecologie -Les Verts), on ecology; Boris Vallaud (Socialist Party), on health policy… These calls to the foot highlight a red line. Borne didn’t quote Marine Le Pen (president of the National Rally), or Mathilde Panot (president of the “rebellious”) deputies.
She was even more clear when she spoke at the end of day to respond to the speeches of various group presidents. Elisabeth Borne attacked Marine Le Pen – “We don’t live in the exact same France”- and Mathilde Pasnot – “Thinking price freezes, the minimum wage at 1,500 Euros are the solution, it’s like putting our savings in Russian loans. Bankruptcy is guaranteed.” The Borne method can be described as “dialogue”, compromise, but not only. She concluded, “Confrontation also, no doubt.” She seems prepared for it.
One thing is certain: the “rebellious” did not miss Elisabeth Borne’s speech. As the Prime Minister spoke of retirement and public accounts, there were many boos. “Hypocrite, hypocrite! We heard them shout when she called to praise the caregivers at the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis.
Mathilde Panot did not speak in front of the tenant de Matignon. “A vote of confidence was necessary. You have decided to flee,” attacked the leader of La France insoumise (LFI). Your strategy is to’save anyone who can’. You are prepared for anything. She said, “Never to compromises, but for all compromises”, and in particular, with the far right. Elisabeth Borne was reassured that she had “trampled on” the French vote. Who is the boss of the “rebellious?” Jean-Luc Melenchon closely followed Jean-Luc Melenchon’s speech, even though he is no longer at the Palais-Bourbon. BFMTV’s duplex shows the speech more clearly. He said, “Disorder and instability are her,” at the end.
Some LR deputies might have felt a bit of vertigo… geographical when they took their places in the Hemicycle on Wednesday. “I remember a time when the group was over 300 …”, I recalls with “l’Obs” Michele Tabarot who has been deputy to the Alpes-Maritimes since 2002 and was elected vice president of the group along with Olivier Marleix. With the deputies in the legislature having shifted to the legislature, we now have the 62 elected members the LR group, surrounded by the 90 Horizons deputies and Edouard Philippe.
“LR is numerically weaker. This time, LR may be more listened than in the past legislature, when the majority refused to accept an amendment. “Nevertheless, Tabarot is prophesied. The Senate’s majority still holds the right, and this is for good reason. The LR parliamentarians (deputies combined with senators) will also be returning to school in Biarritz on September 15-16, in order to secure this balance of power.
It is not revealed that Elisabeth Borne believed she was being discreet. A few journalists arrest the Prime Minister as she leaves Matignon to go to the Palais-Bourbon. “How are you Madam Prime Minister?” What is the significance of this day? They ask. Elisabeth Borne gives a few answers but then turns to Gerald Darmanin, Minister of Interior. He walks beside her and says, “We spend all our time answering stupid question.” “Are your happy to be here?” She quips, “Well, I would have gone to the sun otherwise,” she says.
“Let me ask my side a question. Do the popular classes in the cities, the countryside, and the departments of peripheral France make the decision to leave them to the RN? “. Francois Ruffin, in an interview with “l’Obs”, raised the alarm. The election of the 89 National Rally deputies to the National Assembly was not surprising. Francois Ruffin, deputy LFI, calls for the left’s diagnosis of the historical electoral sequence.
“Thanks to Jean-Luc [Melenchon], a power was set in motion within the country which allowed us to see that the left is not dead. Next, what were the goals that each candidate and his team set themselves? The DOM-TOMs are won and he is elected in round 1. The working-class communities: They came out of abstention and voted Jean-Luc. Young people: Their first vote is progressive. It is a seed for the future. He says those are the three major challenges that have been met, and then he acknowledges that there is a blind spot.
The founder of “Fakir” newspaper felt that a strategy to reconquer peripheral France was necessary with a focus on work. Here’s an interview:
The political awakening of the Obs occurs at the close of a long political year. Since September 2021, our political journalists have been offering you the full marrow of these 578 campaigns (a presidential and 577 legislative) in a global context that is now tense due to Russian aggression in Ukraine. After ten months of turmoil, including the Zemmour souffle and Taubira lap, the political game is transformed into a new, more united left.
We are grateful to you all for your faithful support. We are going on vacation with the “Reveil po”, but it will return – politics in France is always a tale of an eternal return.
