Tensions between Yaël Braun-Pivet and Olivier Faure over Macron's impeachment procedure

17 September 2024 / Radouan Kourak

A heated exchange broke out on social media between the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, and the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, regarding the admissibility of the impeachment procedure against Emmanuel Macron. This initiative, supported by La France Insoumise (LFI) and signed by 81 deputies, divided the left, particularly on how the Bureau of the Assembly should position itself.

Olivier Faure explained in a tweet that deeming a resolution admissible and agreeing to debate it does not mean supporting it. According to him, this procedure, which requires the approval of two-thirds of deputies and senators, has no chance of succeeding. Faure added that rejecting this impeachment would offer Macron a re-legitimization that he does not deserve.

In response, Yaël Braun-Pivet firmly rejected this position, stating that the Bureau of the Assembly could not be satisfied with being a "mere registration office". She insisted on the responsibility of its members to assess the seriousness of the grounds invoked, in accordance with Article 68 of the Constitution. To support her remarks, she quoted Claude Bartolone, former President of the Assembly, who, in 2016, had recalled this crucial role at a similar meeting.

No !
"The Office has a special responsibility. It cannot act as a simple 'registration office'.
It is the responsibility of the members of the Bureau to judge the seriousness of the reasons given and to verify whether they are likely to characterize a… https://t.co/ktHpDHbBgy
— Yaël Braun-Pivet (@YaelBRAUNPIVET) September 17, 2024

The text in question criticizes Emmanuel Macron in particular for his refusal to appoint Lucie Castets to Matignon, despite the fact that the left-wing alliance won the largest number of seats in the legislative elections. However, within the New Popular Front (NFP) itself, opinions diverge. The Socialist Party has indicated that it will vote against this procedure, although it recognizes the validity of the criticism of the presidential management. The Socialists consider the approach doomed to failure, a position that contrasts with that of the Insoumis, firmly determined to go all the way.

The president of the LFI group, Mathilde Panot, estimated that if all the opposition forces united, this impeachment procedure could succeed. In the meantime, this initiative is testing the unity of the left, and in particular that of the New Popular Front. For Olivier Faure, the priority of the left should be on more immediate issues for the French, emphasizing that "power is now in Parliament."

Behind these exchanges, the shadow of Michel Barnier, the new Prime Minister, also looms. The Macronists are trying to seduce part of the left to consolidate a relative majority and ensure parliamentary stability. For their part, the socialists and environmentalists are called to sit at the negotiating table on subjects such as medical deserts and education, according to recent statements by Braun-Pivet.

In short, this episode reveals a fracture within the left, against a backdrop of distrust towards Emmanuel Macron and negotiations to maintain the political balance in the chamber.