The French prime minister faces a motion of censure presented by the left-wing alliance with little chance of success
Commitment was the most repeated word by Élisabeth Borne when presenting her government program to the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament, on Wednesday. The prime minister, appointed in May by the president, Emmanuel Macron, recalled that after the June legislative elections, no party has an absolute majority. “A relative is not and will not be synonymous with a relative action. It is not and will not be a sign of impotence », she warned.
Borne urged the opposition to seek compromises to carry out reforms and to be able to find solutions to the problems of citizens, from the increase in energy prices to insecurity, through the fight against the pandemic and the consequences of the war in Ukraine. . “In the face of such challenges, disorder and instability are not an option,” he said.
“I want us to return together to give meaning and virtue to the word ‘compromise’, which has been forgotten in our political life for too long,” said the head of the Executive in a speech lasting an hour and a half, often interrupted and booed by the opposition, especially from the left-wing benches. “I am not a woman who avoids challenges,” said the prime minister, a great unknown to most French people. “I believe in three things: listening, action and results,” she added.
Borne presented the program of the new Cabinet to the deputies. He announced, among other things, the increase in teachers’ salaries and measures to achieve full employment, fight inflation and increase the purchasing power of the French.
He confirmed that the pension reform, postponed by covid, is still on the table. “Yes, we will need to work progressively for a while longer,” Borne recalled. The Government wants to delay until 65 years of retirement -currently it is established at 62-, which is opposed by unions and part of the opposition.
On the other hand, unlike the majority of his predecessors, Borne did not submit to a vote of confidence from the deputies yesterday. As Macron’s party and its allies had a relative majority in the National Assembly, he lacked enough votes to overcome it. However, she was not required by the Constitution to do so. Faced with her refusal, the leftist parties – La France Insumisa, the Socialist Party, Europe Ecology-The Greens (EE-LV) and the Communist Party – jointly presented a motion of censure.
Confidence vote
“If the prime minister had submitted to a vote of confidence there would not have been a motion of censure, it is evident,” Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the New Popular Ecologist and Social Union (Nupes), told BFMTV. of the leftist parties for the legislative elections. “Madam Prime Minister, you are incapable of requesting a vote of confidence. And I dare to say that it was well done, because we have no confidence in her government,” added the far-right Marine Le Pen, who criticized Borne for acting “as if nothing had happened” in the legislative elections, in which the government party lost absolute majority.
The National Assembly must vote on the motion of censure on Friday or at the beginning of next week. However, there is not much chance of success, since the left lacks enough votes. It would need the support of the moderate right and the far right party of Marine Le Pen. But the Republicans and National Regrouping have already given their denial. Except for surprise, Borne will continue in his position.
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