The ecologist deputy, who has defended the union of the left since her election, did not appreciate the parliamentary tactics of the rebellious on the pension file. “They wanted to impose themselves in the debate and it was not the moment”, judged the elected Parisian.
Nupes divisions continue to be exposed. The allies of La France insoumise withdrew the vast majority of their amendments last Thursday and Friday, in the home stretch of the debates on pension reform in the National Assembly. Mathilde Panot’s group maintained them all after some hesitation.
“It’s a strategy that I did not share”, regretted the ecologist deputy Sandrine Rousseau this Monday morning on Public Senate.
“We cannot fight such an important fight alone”
The left is divided on whether or not to speed up the debates – forced to 10 days in the hemicycle as desired by the government thanks to article 47.1 of the Constitution.
With a question: was it necessary to reach article 7 of the examination on the decline to 64 years of the age of departure as wanted in particular the ecologists but also the communists and the socialists?
“I am not completely convinced that we could have won” on article 7 (by rejecting it) “but we cannot lead such an important fight in isolation”, further advanced the ecofeminist.
Two opposing visions
Between the lines, these are two strategies that have opposed each other in recent days: that which consisted in slowing down the debates, regretting that the government had chosen a short time for debate, allowing it to be accused of “denial of democracy”.
On the other, the hope that a vote on Article 7 can take place and that it will be rejected, offering the left a victory with the hope of pushing the executive to back down.
Problem: if the decline in the retirement age to 64 had been adopted by the deputies, the government could have boasted of a victory.
“They wanted to impose themselves in the debate”
As for the effect on social mobilization that the left hopes for on March 7, it was very uncertain: could this have demobilized the demonstrators or, on the contrary, pushed them to raise their voices?
If the rebels hesitated on their strategy before finally deciding to maintain their amendments, pushed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Sandrine Rousseau regretted the method.
“They wanted to impose themselves in the debate and it was not the moment. This marks the end of an act 1 which has worked so far, we must now move on to an act 2”, still reprimanded the parliamentary so far fierce support of the Nupes.
“There is a difference between LFI and Nupes”, further advanced Sandrine Rousseau. Critics have been strong in recent days on the maintenance of the rebellious amendments, from Fabien Roussel to Olivier Faure, even in the ranks of the unions.
Critics including at LFI
Several figures of LFI have distanced themselves, like François Ruffin and Clémentine Autain, often considered as free electrons. But Alexis Corbière, faithful among the faithful, now critical since the arrival of the new management, said he was “favorable to a discussion” in the columns of the World.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, also scolded by Laurent Berger, the number 1 of the CFDT and Philippe Martinez, the secretary general of the CGT wants to put an end to the debates on the parliamentary tactics of Nupes.
A Hectic Upcoming Intergroup Meeting
Without function in the National Assembly, but still very influential in the ranks of the rebellious, the former presidential candidate thus sets the course for the continuation of the battle against the reform in the street.
“Let’s forget these divisive remarks. Thank you to the deputies who blocked the adoption of retirement at 64. To succeed on March 7, you have to be united!”, Thus tweeted the former presidential candidate.
Enough to appease the spirits? While the deputies are on vacation this week, the parliamentarians should not save Tuesday, February 28, for their first intergroup meeting after the debates on the pension reform, a frank explanation.
