The Liot deputies are not happy. The parliamentary group, author of the motion of censure which almost overthrew the government in the National Assembly during the pension reform, denounced on Monday the fact of not having been associated with “the major political initiative” of Emanuel Macron.
The Head of State, in an interview with the weekly Point published last week, had nevertheless announced that it wanted to bring together “all the political forces represented” in Parliament. The party leaders were thus invited this Wednesday to Saint-Denis in order to build “together” legislative texts and to open the way, “if necessary”, to referendums.
Liot sees it as a “bad signal”
“After declaring that he did not want to invite the RN and LFI, then changed his mind, the President of the Republic made the choice not to invite the Liot group, which is nevertheless composed of 21 deputies from the RPS movements. [Régions et Peuples solidaires]UDI, Nouveau Center and Utiles at its “afternoon of joint work” scheduled for August 30″, denounces the group in a press release.
“While this meeting should discuss “legislative texts built together” in Parliament or by referendum, the fact of not inviting the parliamentary groups is a bad signal. It weakens, once again, the role of Parliament and goes against the objectives set by the President himself, of overcoming divisions and blockages”, continues the group.
“Liot has been, since its constitution, an “opposition and proposal group”. (…) Also, we regret this ostracism which appears as a retaliatory measure to our opposition to the pension reform and the filing of a motion of censure, last March”, concludes the Liot group.
A leading group against pension reform
Chaired by Meuse deputy Bertrand Pancher, Liot is the smallest of the ten political groups in the National Assembly. It brings together elected centrists, overseas, Corsican nationalists and PS dissidents. While Emmanuel Macron had cited Liot as a possible partner for an “alliance” on certain texts during a television interview in the fall, the group was at the forefront in opposition to pension reform. He thus lacked only nine votes in March for the adoption of the “transpartisan” censure motion to bring down the government of Elisabeth Borne.
Without Liot therefore, Emmanuel Macron will receive on Wednesday the parties represented in Parliament at the education house of the Legion of Honor in Saint-Denis. The choice of this school created in 1809 and located near the Basilica of Saint-Denis has a “symbolic value”, that of “meritocracy”, Olivier Véran argued on Monday on BFMTV / RMC. While each of the party leaders is invited to come up with proposals, “nothing is sorted, nothing is predetermined”, also assured the government spokesperson.