The Socialists’ text was narrowly rejected. This Thursday, the National Assembly voted no to access to meals at one euro for all students, a price today reserved for scholarship holders and precarious. The fate of this bill, examined at first reading, was decided by one vote (183 “for”, 184 “against”), after the presidential camp, hostile to this measure, defeated in extremis the recall of troops for the final vote. Seven LR deputies also voted against (four abstained).
Access to one-euro meals is currently reserved in university restaurants for students on scholarships or in a precarious situation. “I am disappointed, except for one vote, the one-euro universal meal was enshrined in law, but it is above all the students who will be disappointed today,” said Socialist MP Fatiha Keloua-Hachi, who wore this text as part of a day reserved for his group.
” The fight goes on “
“The Renaissance and LR deputies rejected our proposal for (…) the one-euro meal for all students. So that all students can eat their fill. The fight continues ”, reacted in a tweet the president of the group Boris Vallaud. The text, supported by the entire left, had also received the support of the deputies of the National Rally.
The first victorious votes on amendments hinted at a possible socialist victory, before the presidential camp mobilized deputies for the final vote. Macronist deputies fought a measure deemed “unfair”, insisting that it would also have benefited students from wealthy backgrounds.
A cost of “90 million euros” according to the majority
MP Anne Brugnera (Renaissance) pinned a “demagogic” measure. “Thanks to you, the children of your friend Bernard Arnault will be able to go to the Crous and only pay one euro,” added his colleague Sylvain Maillard. Alexandre Portier (LR) for his part pleaded for access to the price of 1 euro to be conditional on a commitment to “work two hours a week in the service of a local community”.
The Minister of Higher Education Sylvie Retailleau pleaded against the measure, the cost of which she estimated at at least “90 million euros”. She underlined the existence of social tariffs for meals for “students in difficulty”. The 1 euro meal had been temporarily extended to all students in 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.