The reform of Parliament announced at Versailles by the President of the Republic is going in the right direction, but remains very minimalistic. It seems to have been devised as part of a communication strategy to respond to some public fervor, particularly on social media.
At best, it’s a facelift and everyone knows that this process can make the visible more appealing (when it’s not botched…) but it doesn’t change anything about the reality of the non-visible.
Let’s review the main announcements:
– The reduction in the number of parliamentarians: why not? It is true that there are really a lot of parliamentarians in France. Therefore, some can be eliminated without harm. But this measure, which pleases public opinion (too many, too highly paid, too absent…) will change nothing fundamentally. And if it’s about making savings, one could just abolish the Senate, which, as everyone knows, is useless. However, such a measure would require significant political courage in the face of electorally influential senators.
– Proportional representation: this is not about changing the voting system from majority to proportional (fortunately!) but about injecting a dose of proportional representation… Again, no upheaval to expect, only a handful of additional FN and some ecologists elected. But if the aim is to retain the Senate at all costs, why not elect it by full proportional representation, thus ensuring a bicameralism that makes sense (pluralist debates in the Senate, majority voting in the Assembly).
– End of the exceptional justice: it’s true that the Lagarde case has made this measure almost inevitable. Moreover, it aligns with current trends. But the reasons for its original creation remain valid, and this abolition is a gamble.
– The Economic and Social Council: it is well-known that this institution serves no purpose. Its work is not uninteresting, but public authorities don’t care… And isn’t it said that civil society has forcefully entered the Assembly (!). Therefore, the sensible solution is its abolition, even if it would risk offending a few retirees of the Republic.
– The annual speech by the President: a measure that won’t revolutionize the political life of our country but is logical (more so than the December 31 speech or the July 14 interview).
There is talk of a referendum to implement all this. Why not? But given the substance of the reform, I’ll give you the result in advance: YES 80%, abstention 80%.
by Patrick Mottard
