By opting for the constructive opposition, the socialists are walking on a wire

It’s not easy to find your place in a split Parliament without a majority. All grope more or less, and for different reasons. Among the Socialists, it is necessary first of all to manage its transformation: to pass from party of government leader of its camp to junior partner in the opposition. Despite sometimes slight friction, the collaboration with the other groups of the Nupes, and in the first place the rebellious, is not really called into question until then.

But among these same socialists, we also explain that we do not always have the same vision of parliamentarism as their (sometimes) turbulent neighbors. “They must understand that we must also be able to bring victories home,” whispered, paraphrasing Vegedream, a socialist executive earlier this fall. Understand: don’t just filibuster and fight for gains on government bills. Boris Vallaud, the president of the socialist group, often recalls that this group has existed for almost 130 years in the Lower House. As if to justify this parliamentary culture anchored in the red velvet benches of the Hemicycle. A long story… which had its dose of obstruction, for them too.

open door

The debate on the draft law on renewable energies, currently being discussed in the Assembly, has enabled the Socialists to give a little countenance to this leitmotif. In an interview with the Huffington Post at the beginning of December, Boris Vallaud said he was open to voting for this bill, subject to certain conditions. On “two hard points” in particular: limiting the installation of photovoltaic power plants on agricultural land; improve the sharing of financial compensation in the event of the installation, for example, of wind turbines.

The debate started last week: “We’re on the road, I don’t know if it’s the right one, but we’re there. We have a few days left to convince”, analysis, cautious, the deputy Dominique Potier, main socialist speaker on the subject. The question of the regulation of photovoltaic power plants on the ground and on agricultural land still remains to be decided. “We nevertheless weighed enormously in the overall rewriting of the text”, affirms the spokesperson for the PS deputies, Arthur Delaporte. Without being fooled: “The government knew that it could not count on LR on this subject, so it was certain that it was going to seek allies elsewhere. »

Requirements

Even if one does not imagine the PS entering the government, neither tomorrow nor the day after, playing the game of a constructive opposition carries the risk of blurring perception. Asked last week about this “openness” of the Socialists on renewable energies, Boris Vallaud also immediately corrected: “Our group is not open, it is demanding. “Would it be a question of not too annoying the partners of Nupes? The deputy of the Landes is always a little annoyed by it and defends the autonomy of his deputies. “I set myself the discipline of first knowing what we think about ourselves [sur les textes à l’ordre du jour] with a demanding job to be able to advance. This does not prevent us from linking up with others on a certain number of subjects. »

Except that on a lot of points, the “shared program” of the Nupes of the June legislative elections can serve as a reference. In particular on the subject which will largely occupy the space at the beginning of 2023: the pension reform. The government wants, in particular, to delay the legal age of departure to 65 years. The entire left is against it. The Nupes shared program provides for retirement at age 60 at full rate after 40 years of contributions.

Congress in sight

The press has already echoed squeaks in the Socialist Party on the defense of this promise, now considered unrealistic in the new economic situation. “It is not the project on which we will have to decide”, evades Boris Vallaud, for whom the priority is the unitary opposition to the government project and the situation of long careers. OK. But it is not totally impossible that rebellious amendments force the Socialists to position themselves. “Not sure: if the amendment increases the charges, it can be declared inadmissible”, believes a Socialist deputy, hoping to pass between the drops.

The fact that the PS is in the middle of an internal campaign for its congress in January is perhaps not unrelated to these hesitations. Because the opponents of the pro-Nupes line of the outgoing first secretary, Olivier Faure, never miss the opportunity to publish a press release each time a rebel raises an ear, to demand that the Socialists distinguish themselves from it. The spokesperson for the PS group assures him firmly: “No, there is no pressure from Congress. “With covert words, another elected official, pro-Faure, sees there only an” attempt at instrumentalization which does not exceed the microsphere of those who emit these messages. Perhaps, but if the internal opposition wins the congress, the whole strategy of the party will be reversed.

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