"The right cannot reduce the debate on separatism to the issue of wearing the veil during school trips and family reunification", slipped the president of the LR group to the National Assembly Damien Abad in early November.
The start of the examination of the bill "on the principles of the Republic" in the hemicycle was however an opportunity for the Republicans to focus the debates almost exclusively on the subject of the veil that the government had at heart. to avoid.
The right has taken the opportunity of article 1 of the text devoted to the neutrality of the public service to propose a series of amendments prohibiting the veil for minors in public service spaces, for school guides or at the university .
Even if it means devoting a good part of his speaking time to it in a planned legislative period, and therefore very constrained.
A strategy, carried by the deputies Eric Ciotti and Annie Genevard which is not unanimous: a "framing meeting" was held Thursday afternoon to discuss the strategy to come while LR has only six hours for the review of over 45 remaining articles.
"We managed tactically to… reveal the majority"
"The veil is an eminently political subject which interests the French a lot", claims Annie Genevard while Eric Ciotti welcomes a "debate which reflects the absences and the lack of courage of the governmental text".
“We managed tactically to… reveal the majority,” adds the deputy for Alpes-Maritimes while several LREM parliamentarians voted in favor of banning the veil for minors in public services.
"Are we doing politics or should we rather improve the text technically?"
“, Asks LR MP Eric Diard aloud, whose amendment on an oath for police and prison officers has been adopted.
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"It is interesting that the match takes place in the hemicycle with us but let us avoid falling into the trap of Darmanin", slips another deputy who suspects the Minister of the Interior of wanting to "round off" LR on outrageous positions.
“Anyway, Marine Le Pen will not be able to eclipse us since she has no more speaking time!
», Smiles an elected LR.
Beyond the political strategy, some LR parliamentarians say they are reserved on the ban of the veil.
"The veil is a political expression of a form of radicalization of minds ... but not all the time or everywhere", blows an elected official for whom the right "has not succeeded in defending a very clear vision of its definition of secularism ".
"But we have no lessons to receive on this subject," continues the same, referring to similar divisions on the benches of the left and the majority.
