It’s a strange call, months after the socialists gained 49.3 skin in negotiations not to censor the government. This Wednesday, November 26, former President of the Republic and then member of parliament François Hollande emphasized that we must not completely ignore article 49.3 of the Constitution, which the Prime Minister promised not to use to pass the budget.
“We must not eliminate constitutional provisions”, said François Hollande on BFMTV, asked about the possibility of the government reversing its decision and using 49.3 amid budget constraints. “We’ll see (…), it’s too early to say,” predicted the former President of the Republic, while assessing that it would happen “better” for Parliament to approve and vote.
In the World, Tuesday, the boss of the Pink Senators, Patrick Kanner, already opened the door and said “ready to accept the idea of returning to 49.3 based on a negotiated text or legalization by order, as long as it includes a socialist compromise”.
“If we say that we will take away this right forever, yes, that is a mistake. If we also say (that) we will not continue to seek compromise, that is a mistake.” added François Hollande, whose credentials were marked by multiple uses of 49.3, especially by Manuel Valls. The government, which does not have a majority in the National Assembly, has scrapped 49.3 allowing all budgets to be adopted from 2022, without a vote (except 2024, when Michel Barnier was ousted).
Examinations of the State budget and Social Security projects continue this week in the Senate and Assembly. But prospects for a compromise are weak: the first income component was almost unanimously rejected by the National Assembly on Friday night and the upper house scrapped the Social Security component. But François Hollande insists “believe” There is still the possibility that Parliament will vote on the budget.
Addressing the press at the end of the Council of Ministers, government spokesperson, Maud Bregeon, wanted to rule out hypothesis 49.3, and called for “Responsibilities of MPs” by confirming that “Specific legislation, regulation or reversion through window 49.3 is clearly not a solution.” “There is no alternative other than parliamentary compromise. Specific laws and regulations are not the answer at this time.” he insisted.
Asked about the possibility that the Socialists would order the government to use 49.3, the spokesman replied that they had not. “not asked” and that the Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, “very clearly committed to not using 49.3, not just to please socialists” but let Parliament make the budget.
The rebellious Eric Coquerel accused François Hollande of being the perpetrator “pilot fish from PS to find a way to “compromise” with macronism”. “I was told that Sébastien Lecornu can use 49.3 provided PS officially requests it and clearly guarantees not to vote for the censorship that will follow”, he wrote in X.
