Rachida Dati triggers the blocked vote to accelerate adoption in the Senate

Denouncing the« obstruction » From the left. In addition, the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, drew the constitutional weapon of the blocked vote during the examination of the reform of public audiovisual in the Senate, Friday July 11 in the morning, to try to accelerate the examination of the text before the parliamentary holidays. Similarly, This strategy led to the adoption of the text at second reading by the Chamber. Meanwhile, in the afternoon, by 194 votes against 113.

This vote closes the extraordinary session of the Parliament, which will resume its work on September 22. However, In the early afternoon. Consequently, the left had decided to leave the hemicycle to protest against the appeal by M^me Dati to the procedure provided for in article 44.3 of the Constitution. which made it possible to jump the examination of hundreds of amendments, so that the senators only have the possibility of approving or rejecting the whole text.

Contested by the unions. the left but brought to arm by the Minister of Culture, the reform provides in broad outline to create 1^is January 2026 A holding company, France Médias, which would oversee France Télévisions, Radio France and the National Audiovisual Institute (INA), under the authority of a President and CEO.

“Back” debates

For several months. the text, brought to arm by the Minister of Culture, has experienced a chaotic parliamentary journey. Thursday. the debates bogged down in the Senate: repeated session suspensions, reminders of the regulation, preliminary rejection motions, invective in a mess … In addition to eight hours of discussion. the senators barely started the examination of article 1 of the bill of Senator Laurent Lafon. At the maneuver. the left, determined to play the watch, while the extraordinary session must theoretically end on Friday at midnight on Friday.

In the morning. just over half an hour after the resumption rachida dati triggers blocked vote of debates, M^me Dati announced that the government asked the Senate “To decide by a unique vote on the entire text”, “Pursuant to article 44 paragraph 3 of the Constitution”. “After more than seven hours of debate, we could only debate 31 amendments on this text. We saw again this morning (…) obstruction, always obstruction and more obstruction ”she justified. About 300 amendments were left to debate.

The debates, suspended around 10:15 am, resumed almost two hours later. The speakers of the left successively protested rachida dati triggers blocked vote this “Coup de force”according to the word of the former socialist minister. Laurence Rossignol. “We are talking about press freedom. But let’s already start by respecting the rights of the Parliament ”she thundered. recalling that the Senate had other tools at his disposal to discipline discussions.

On June 30. the debates had already been “Escamotés” At first reading in the Assembly, after the surprise vote of a motion of rejection filed by the environmentalists, facing the deserted benches of the government coalition. “It is you who are responsible for the fact that the debate cannot take place. It’s not us “retorted them the rapporteur of the text, Cédric Vial (Les Républicains).

The president of the Senate Culture Commission, Laurent Lafon (UDI), also defended rachida dati triggers blocked vote the government’s decision, pointing out an obstruction “Characterized” intended for “Preventing the Senate to confirm its support” to the text.

Now. the examination of the text should be able to “Go to the end” Before the end of the session, according to this source. And undoubtedly return to the fall to the Assembly, on an indefinite date.