“We should not forbid ourselves to use it”: Latvian deputies are discussing a vote of no confidence

On the morning of Tuesday, April 2, Republican deputies paid tribute to the memory of Georges Pompidou, who died 50 years ago. But they also spent about twenty minutes during their weekly meeting discussing the wisdom of introducing or not introducing a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly. This would have a great chance of overthrowing Attal’s government.

“This is a weapon at our disposal and we must not refrain from using it,” said party president Eric Ciotti, who was challenged by Corrèze MP Frédéric Meunier. Yes, use it, but when, how and for what purpose? Many deputies wanted to question him, as well as the head of the LR group, Olivier Marlet, on this burning topic.

“Are we going to say stop or say it again? »

“The group is interested in this topic, we want to know the employment doctrine,” admits the elected representative of the Upper Rhine, Raphael Shellenberger. Wanting also to understand his party’s strategy in this matter, his colleague Michel Herbillon declared from Racine: “I blindly submit to the fate that attracts me (Andromache, Act I, Scene I) “The audience laughed, but there was general concern.

Eric Ciotti remained evasive, not losing sight of the fact that the likely consequence of a vote of no confidence would be the dissolution of the Assembly by the head of state. “Are we going to say stop or say it again? “Ciotti asked, recalling that it was necessary to take a more aggressive approach to budgetary issues, faced with an executive that in recent months has shown (by poaching Rachida Dati) that it wants to “destroy” LR.

“We can’t continue like this. Public opinion is beginning to lose patience; we need to take a real opposition position. A natural tool for this is censorship. But until then this was not applicable, because it was perceived by our voters as adventurism. But the development of the budget situation means that we have an opportunity,” admits the group leader.

“Macron is not going to put Bardella at the head of the government before the Olympics”

“We must find time to think,” nevertheless, Vice President of the Republic of Latvia Michelle Tabarot warned at the meeting. Because the tenors of the Republic of Lithuania are convinced that censorship before the Olympic Games will not necessarily lead to dissolution.

“Macron is not going to put Bardella at the head of the government before the Olympic Games,” said Olivier Marlet. Link to an Ipsos poll conducted in December 2023, commissioned by LR, which shows that in the event of early legislative elections, which would certainly entail dissolution, it would be the RN that would win the majority of seats in the National Assembly. If dissolution does not happen, is the Republic of Lithuania ready to offer the executive power an alliance with a right-wing prime minister and some important programmatic points? This issue was also raised on Tuesday morning.

“Censorship requires awareness of public opinion (about a serious problem) “, commented Olivier Marlet. Could the country’s economic situation really be an opportunity for LR? “No one talks about this to us in the markets…” the deputy admits, although he is ready to consider this option.

If LR decides to speak out – a vote of no confidence has been talked about for a year – will they bring it up for discussion during the deficit debate on April 29th in the Assembly? Or upon inspection hypothetical amendments to the Finance Bill before the summer holidays? Republicans are still undecided. “The goal of Ciotti and Marleix is ​​to have MPs discuss this topic,” we confess to the management of the LR group.