Emmanuel Macron reconvenes party chiefs

Photo: Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, has invited the leaders of the political parties represented in the National Assembly to a new meeting on 17 November. In his letter of invitation, the head of state stresses the possibility of opening up the referendum to immigration issues, as called for by the LR and the RN.

The first meeting took place at the end of the summer and caused great disappointment, but Emmanuel Macron insisted on what the Élysée presented as a "major political initiative" aimed at bringing together the majority and the opposition. The head of state thus wrote to the heads of the political parties to invite them to a new meeting on 17 November, a continuation of the "Saint-Denis meetings" that lasted 12 hours on 30 August.

The reason for the operation, which the President of the Republic has relaunched, remains the same: "Our responsibility is to overcome our divisions in the interest of the country," estimates Emmanuel Macron in a letter written on Friday and received on Sunday evening by the responsible persons. politicians represented in the National Assembly.

Emmanuel Macron open to referendum on immigration
If the "international situation" appears on the menu of proposed discussions, the host of the Elysée Square insists on the question of the referendum and its possible extension to the issue of immigration. An outstretched hand to the LR on the right, but also to the RN, with the text of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, arriving today for examination in the Senate. "We need to continue our reflections on the ways in which the referendum will evolve." writes the head of state, before elaborating: "It would be a question of enacting laws on so-called 'social' issues, such as the end-of-life issues sometimes mentioned, but also broader reforms affecting several intersecting aspects, as in the case of migration issues, which involve sovereign, economic, social or even diplomatic issues."

LR chief Éric Ciotti has long advocated a referendum on the proposed constitutional law on immigration that his party tabled in the spring. "A referendum is a necessity that is both democratic and legal," assures again this Monday in the columns of Le Figaro the president of the LR senators, Bruno Retailleau, who again raises the threat of a vote of no confidence in the assembly if the amendments of the upper house to the immigration proposal were not maintained. As for the RN, Jordan Bardella "demands" a vote on the issue in 2024, on the same day as the European elections.

On the other hand, it is still not a poll of the French, for example, on pension reform.

The promise of RIP and new territorial reforms
In order to make a democratic change, Emmanuel Macron's position paper also proposes lowering the threshold to one million voters, compared to almost 5 million at present, in order to hold a referendum on a shared initiative (RIP). A promise already made by the head of state but never kept, who also says she wants to reduce the number of deputies needed (93 against 185) and "also give citizens the opportunity to take the initiative" of this RIP, "whereas today only MPs can initiate the procedure".

Another project: a possible new territorial reform for ever more "differentiation". "With the mission on decentralisation, I wanted to entrust the former minister and deputy, Éric Woerth, to formulate paths for reforms that could meet the commonly shared objectives (to simplify, clarify, streamline and restore the confidence of our fellow citizens ", announces Emmanuel Macron, who insists that "the number of decentralised layers is now too numerous and it is possible to better articulate between them".

The case of "Corsica, New Caledonia and more generally overseas" is also mentioned among the topics for reflection. But "outside these territories, a more general development in the logic of greater differentiation might seem desirable", insists the President.

Left criticises "Saint-Denis meeting"
While the results of the first meeting were sharply criticised by the left, which understood it as a meeting between "right and right", Emmanuel Macron's letter does not arouse enthusiasm. Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party, announced in the public senate on Monday morning that he would not attend the meeting. The MEP for Seine-et-Marne refuses to "hold a candle" in the face of "the deal that (the head of state) wants to make with the right and the far right" on the referendum, rejecting all proposals from the left, especially on superannuation or pension reform. "Environmental and social justice issues are still not on the agenda. In the real Disconnection, it's pretty amazing." EELV National Secretary Marine Tondelier responded on X (ex-Twitter) on Sunday evening.

(Humanité/RoZ)