After the Modem, La France Insoumise and Les Républicains, it is the turn of the National Rally to present its texts on the agenda, on the occasion of its first ” parliamentary niche of his story. This Thursday, the marinist deputies will defend seven bills, with the main subject of purchasing power, the abolition of low emission zones (ZFE) and the introduction of a school uniform in public schools and colleges.
But by the way, what is a parliamentary niche? 20 minutes explains everything you need to know about this special day for opposition groups.
What is a parliamentary niche?
Also called “parliamentary initiative day”, this constitutional mechanism allows opposition groups and minority groups to promote their texts on the agenda, usually set by the Conference of Presidents, in consultation with the government.
As a reminder, as indicated on the site of the National Assembly, the opposition groups are a set of at least 15 deputies declaring themselves against the Renaissance majority. The opposition groups are the Republicans, Socialists and allies – Nupes, Ecologists – Nupes, La France insoumise – Nupes, the Democratic and Republican Left – Nupes, the deputies of Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories and , finally the parliamentarians of the National Rally. This Thursday marks the first niche of the RN, because never since the creation of this device, the party of Marine Le Pen had had a parliamentary group. Only two groups are considered to be in the minority – “groups that are neither in the opposition nor in the majority” -: the Democratic and Related Movement and Horizons.
All of these groups are entitled to a single parliamentary niche per ordinary session, which opens on the first working day of October and ends on the last working day of June. One parliamentary initiative day takes place every month. Deputies therefore tend to want to put as many texts as possible on the order of these meetings.
When was the creation of these niches?
It is Article 48 of the Constitution which provides this right to opposition and minority groups: “One sitting day per month is reserved for an agenda set by each assembly on the initiative of the opposition groups of the assembly concerned as well as that of the minority groups. A previous constitutional reform of 1995 had created this right, but the parliamentary niches as we know them today come from the constitutional reform of July 23, 2008, led by the then President of the Republic Nicolas Sarkozy. In the 1958 Constitution, no provision had been made to leave such a field of expression to the various groups.
But the latest parliamentary niches have a greater impact than before. For good reason, never since 2008, the executive had only had a relative majority in Parliament, today allowing cross-party alliances within the Assembly. Some victories have been won by opposition groups during the last niches: the inclusion of the right to abortion in the Constitution for LFI or the creation of a court specializing in domestic violence for LRs.
What are the limits of these sessions?
Parliamentary initiative days are an opportunity for opposition parties to promote their favorite themes and to create a debate that would not have taken place in normal times. LFI had, for example, presented a text to abolish bullfighting, the Republicans had meanwhile chosen immigration and security as the theme of the day.
Like every day, a public session begins at 9 a.m. and ends at midnight. Parliamentarians therefore have every interest in ensuring that the debates take place as quickly as possible. However, an unethical strategy, some groups file hundreds of amendments to slow down the discussions. In November, the leader of the LFI deputies Mathilde Panot estimated that the Renaissance parliamentarians had “crossed a red line”, by taking part “in the obstruction” during the “parliamentary niche” of the Insoumis, by tabling nearly 300 amendments on their text of reintegration of non-vaccinated caregivers, making it impossible to fully review the text.
Rebelote a few weeks later, in December, during the Republican parliamentary niche. During the examination of a text on the creation of a “jurisdiction specialized in intra-family violence”, the majority had used its right of amendment and the government of its unlimited speaking time to break the rhythm, according to LR deputies. “You must not engage in a game of obstruction week after week,” lamented the boss of LR deputies Olivier Marleix. “It’s recidivism and pure and simple sabotage” abounded Aurélien Pradié, deploring “an absolutely detestable maneuver, which is more on a subject like this”.
In the meantime, after the niche of the RN this Thursday, will come those of the socialists on February 9, 2023, of Horizons, on March 2, 2023, of the ecologists on April 6, 2023, of the Left Democrat and Republican group on May 4, 2023 and finally of the group Libertés, independents, overseas and territories, June 8.