Transparency operation. This is the key word of the executive and of the elected representatives of the majority while Wednesday begins one of the rare times of political debate since the announcement by the President of the Republic of the measures of general containment in the country, in order to fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and Minister of Health Olivier Véran already tried to remove doubts and suspicions during a long press conference on Saturday. They had presented numerous figures on the resources made available to nursing staff and the various levers of action of the State.
This time, it is at the Palais Bourbon that the debates will focus. The same two ministers will be heard at 6 p.m. by the members of the fact-finding mission responsible for assessing "the impact, management and consequences in all its dimensions of the Coronavirus-Covid epidemic 19". Explanations.
What is the role of this mission?
The name of the mission leaves no room for doubt: on paper, the management and extent of the health crisis in the country can be studied and debated in all their aspects. An ambition repeated in the press release from the conference of presidents announcing its implementation, on March 17.
This mission should therefore allow “the national representation to ensure close and timely monitoring of the epidemic and its consequences. It will be able to make any recommendations it deems useful in order to learn from this situation, ”we read.
Who is composing it?
The election of the office of the fact-finding mission will be officially carried out this Wednesday, at 4 p.m., before the start of the hearings of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health. But its composition is already known.
This mission, the majority of which is initiated, will be chaired by Richard Ferrand, the President of the National Assembly. It is also he who, at least initially, will be the general rapporteur.
In an unprecedented situation, "unprecedented institutional response", welcomes the latter in the columns of the Figaro. All the presidents of the standing committees of the National Assembly (Cultural Affairs and Education, Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Social Affairs, National Defense and the Armed Forces, Sustainable Development and Regional Planning, Finance and Laws) will be members of the mission, but also co-rapporteurs. All the political groups sitting at the Palais Bourbon will also be represented.
What will be its prerogatives?
The creation of this fact-finding mission stems from the vote on the "emergency law to deal with" the Covid-19 epidemic on March 22. A text which establishes the establishment of a "state of health emergency" in the country for a period of two months. During this period of time, the government is notably justified in legislating by means of ordinances on a series of security or economic measures. This is the reason why the deputies defended the need to create this mission, in order to assess the management of the crisis by the executive.
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But that's not all. Richard Ferrand promises that the members of the commission may be led to formulate a certain number of recommendations which could lead to possible legislative proposals. And the President of the National Assembly to give the example of distance education, which in his view is likely to be the subject of such an initiative.
What does the opposition think?
If the majority says they hope "a work in unity", several members of the mission, elected from the opposition, do not hide certain reservations. "This mission must bring truth, transparency and efficiency, warns the deputy of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques (PS) David Habib. The French must be better informed. Elected officials must rise to the challenge. We are not debating half a point of GDP or inflation. We are talking about the life and death of compatriots. "
The opposition intends to put all subjects on the table. "We sometimes had a feeling of improvisation," continues the elected official. A feeling of delay in lighting the masks or even the construction of the Mulhouse hospital. It took ten days for it to be operational, while we saw the day after the announcement of its installation the equipment in the parking lot. "
The Republican MP Eric Ciotti also promises not to spare the executive on angry subjects. "Personally, I will be attentive to the application throughout the country of containment measures," he explains. I am talking about places that seem exempt from compliance with restriction measures, suburbs in which the law of these territories seems to have taken precedence over the laws of the Republic. Are the controls carried out uniformly? Security and the protection of law enforcement will have to be addressed. "
Will it lead to a parliamentary commission of inquiry?
At this rate, national unity could quickly falter. The government will undoubtedly be questioned on other controversial points. “When the president shows up at the theater, to convince the French to continue living normally, just a few days before announcing the confinement, what should we think about it? Adds David Habib. Last sensitive point, in his eyes, the maintenance of the first round of municipal elections, which should be "quickly put on the table". The Prime Minister's presence on Wednesday evening could well launch the debate.
Opposition members expect the government to follow through. "We know the natural tendency of this power to self-amnesty," tackles the elected PS. A debate would have even crossed the Socialist Party to know whether or not to participate in this mission, which "risks resembling a control of control by the majority".
The same reservations come out of Eric Ciotti's mouth. "If it becomes yet another place for the dissemination of government communication, it will not have much interest," he warns. For him, the fact that Richard Ferrand was initially president and rapporteur of the mission "is not a good sign".
The deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes insists on the need to see a parliamentary commission of inquiry succeed this mission of information. His powers would be much broader, with the possibility of making compulsory summons and conducting on-site and documentary investigations. Its general rapporteur will this time necessarily be from the first opposition group, namely the Republicans.
Richard Ferrand already seems to want to extinguish the embers and validate the creation of such a commission in the coming months. "The general rapporteur will be a member of the main opposition group, that is to say the Republicans, which is an additional guarantee," he promises to Le Figaro. He will have with him a majority co-rapporteur. "