Yesterday the French Government managed to survive the vote of no confidence, when a “motion de censure” intended to stop controversial economic reforms was defeated by 55 votes.
In the vote 234 voted in favour of the motion – 55 short of the 289 votes needed to secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
It was the UMP who called for the motion after Prime-minister Manuel Valls used rarely used powers, known as Article 43-9, to force through the Macron Bill, without a vote in the Assembly. The Macron Bill has caused much controversy as amongst its key points are the relaxing of the Sunday trading laws and opening certain professions to more competition. As he couldn’t guarantee it passing, he used the controversial rule.
It has been almost a decade since a French government last used its powers in this way. And the Prime Minister’s decision had been denounced as “anti-democratic”.
But after winning the vote, Manuel Valls said he would be ready to use it again to pass a bill without vote, after using Tuesday’s first reading of the draft law Macron.
“If we use this weapon again, that is given to us in the Constitution, then we will, of course, because we can not lose time, and the need to reform our country and remove blocks” while ” Growth is coming back, “said the Prime Minister.
Since the constitutional reform of 2008, Article 49-3 allows a bill to pass without voting and can be used once per session in the Assembly (with the current session ending in late June ).
However, it can be used repeatedly for the same text, which will include the government to use it again for the second reading of the Macron law.
Repeating his belief that “there is no alternative majority” and denouncing “the vacuum of space and the absence of any alternative proposal,” Manuel Valls repeated his determination to reform until 2017.
“In this test, after the last few days, I can go out with unwavering determination, to continue the mission of mine to reform and change the country and to continue the task given to me by the President of the Republic until 2017 “he said.
“And those who for petty reasons, because it does not have a sense of the general interest, because there infantilism, because there is a lack of responsibility, should know that they will not be able to impede the reform efforts of the government, “he continued.
