Matignon hammered him, "the question today is how do we manage to have a normal functioning of the National Assembly". It prevents. The shadow of 49.3 hangs over the week which opens. Because behind the scenes, many now believe that it is less a question of knowing "if", but rather "when" the government will draw this constitutional weapon, which allows it to have a text adopted without a vote.
A pillar of the majority poses the debate in these terms: “If we want to stick to the calendar, there is no doubt that a 49.3 will prevail. There are two possibilities: wait until the end of the scheduled time or do it now. This will occupy the ritual political meetings of the executive duo and the majority at the start of this week, before the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.
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Some, including among the LREM deputies, are in a hurry to finish. “Things are pretty clear. The blockage, every minute, demonstrates it, "advises a strategist from Macronie, when another reminds that such a procedure takes several days and therefore bet on a trigger" this week or the next ". "Rumors," we sweep Matignon: "49.3 is not the subject of the Prime Minister today. It is not up to us to be subjected to media and political pressure. The French must see what is going on in the hemicycle. "
Grievances and reluctance within the majority
Because it is above all a battle of opinion, with a majority and an opposition which pass on the responsibility of a passage in force. Gilles Le Gendre wrote to his troops on Saturday evening to encourage them not to "release the denunciation of the obstruction strategy in any way". Problem for the government, it does not have only the French to convince. Part of his majority is "on edge on 49.3", as a LREM deputy says, animated by the unpleasant "feeling" that they, as parliamentarians, are asked to "demand" the use of this weapon of the 'executive
Grievances and reluctance were expressed this weekend within the group against "an untenable calendar", "an incomplete text". Some plead to seek "legislative techniques" in order to make the debate more fluid. And even to "step over the municipal", fearing to see a boomerang comeback that would pass for "an act of authoritarianism". The images of Edouard Philippe in the municipal campaign in Le Havre have, moreover, upset some. "We no longer see the Prime Minister! Exclaims a deputy.
He was precisely back in the Assembly on Sunday evening, to dine at the meeting with the LREM deputies, before the resumption of evening work. Objective, according to a relative of the head of government, whom we saw around 8:30 pm pass through the ranks to discuss: "See how they feel the situation in the hemicycle, how we can move forward, give them support". Saturday evening, in his message to all the LREM deputies, Gilles Le Gendre modestly recognized a "diversity" of positions among the Walkers. And tried to play the appeasement: "Do not pretend that we have to settle this question today. " And tomorrow?