Up to 19 deputies from Los Republicanos have voted in favor of the first motion of no confidence against the Government of Élisabeth Borne
The French National Assembly has rejected on Monday the two motions of censure presented in the framework of the approval by decree of the pension reform promoted by the Government of President Emmanuel Macron, although the result augurs a weakening of the Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne . In addition, the rejection of the two motions implies the approval of the pension reform.
The first motion, the one presented by the LIOT group –Libertad, Independientes, Ultramar y Territorios– has been rejected by only nine votes difference: 287 votes against and 278 in favor, while the second, that of the far-right formation Unión National led by Marine Le Pen has had only 94 votes in favor.
However, in voting on the first motion, up to 19 of the 61 deputies from the Los Republicanos party have supported the departure of the Government, which raises doubts about Borne’s political future. The leadership of Los Republicanos had given the order to support the Government despite the fact that it is not part of the coalition led by Macron, for which reason these deputies have broken voting discipline.
After the vote, Borne stressed on Twitter that “we are reaching the end of the democratic path of this essential reform for our country.”
Both motions were presented on Friday, after Elisabeth Borne’s government resorted to article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows approval of a legislative initiative without a vote in Parliament, but at the cost of opening the door to the presentation of motions of censure against the Executive.
For the leader of La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, after the rejection of these motions of censure, a “popular censorship” of the government is necessary “anywhere and in any circumstance.”
“The Government is already dead. Only nine votes were missing to overthrow the Government and its reform,” said the deputy of La Francia Insumisa Mathilde Panot. “The Prime Minister (Elisabeth Borne) obviously must resign”, she has riveted herself.
Meanwhile, far-right leader Marine Le Pen has called on Macron to “present another government to the French.” “The crisis won’t be resolved if it doesn’t,” he told BFMTV.
During the vote, the protests and mobilizations that have shaken French society for eleven weeks have continued with a demonstration in Place Vauban in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, near the National Assembly. “We too are going to pass by force”, “Macron resigns!” the protesters chanted.
The demonstration has been called by the Southern Railway Federation. Another protest called by Los Patriotas is planned in the Plaza del Santo Sulpicio.
On Sunday the authorities announced new restrictions on protests and, as happened on Saturday, it is prohibited to demonstrate in the Place de la Concorde and in the vicinity of the Parisian Champs-Elysees.
