A victory… but a battalion of “rebellious” deputies never seen in the majority on a text supported by the government.
The National Assembly on Tuesday evening gave the green light to the temporary reintroduction of neonicotinoids, these bee-killing insecticides, in order to save the beet industry (313 for, 158 against, and 56 abstentions).
Within the group La République en Marche (LREM), 32 elected representatives voted against and 36 abstained.
"It's a step backwards, a step back on the environment", thunders the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes Loïc Dombreval, one of the 32 "against" (many of whom are not however used to oppose government).
The previous “record” during a vote on a bill dated from July 2019 during the ratification of the free trade agreement between the EU and Canada (Ceta), with nine LREM deputies against and 52 abstentions.
Benoît Simian, elected in Gironde, had voted for Ceta.
But this time he expressed his opposition to neonicotinoids.
The son of a beekeeper, he believes that "the commitment made in 2017 to protect our economy while respecting biodiversity has not been respected".
"If deputies wondered what they are for, it's won"
"France must be a locomotive on environmental issues, it is not by sinking breaches in bans voted in 2016 that we will achieve it", he squeaks, referring to the ban on these insecticides voted by the National Assembly four years ago.
It was also the current Minister for the Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, at the time Secretary of State for Biodiversity under François Hollande, who defended this ban.
Before advocating a derogation today ... "If deputies wondered what they are for, it is won", worries about this Loïc Dombreval.
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Sandrine Le Feur, elected from Finistère, is not a "rebellious" either.
Moreover, it wishes to clarify that it "supports the action led by the government".
But, "on this subject, I could not vote for," she says.
In recent weeks, the professional farmer has gone to meet beet growers on her land.
“I listened to them for a long time, but I was not convinced about the need to re-authorize neonicotinoids,” said the MP.
A “difficult but necessary” decision for Barbara Pompili
This large number of votes against and abstentions (which remain in the minority compared to the 175 LREM deputies who voted for) sounds like a call to order for the government and the executive.
For several months, Emmanuel Macron and his government have not failed to show their voluntarism in environmental matters.
“All environmentalists!
», Had even chanted the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, in an article published at the end of July.
“The 'at the same time' has limits.
In principle, saying that we can and must do both economics and ecology is a good thing.
But sometimes it hits a wall, ”warns Loïc Dombreval.
When contacted, Barba Pompili's entourage refuses to speak of “victory” or even “satisfaction” after this vote.
"We recognize the courage of the deputies, it was a difficult decision but necessary and which requires to make compromises", assures one.
And to ensure that this exemption for neonicotinoids will remain "limited" and "temporary".