End of chaotic session in the Senate. Facing the«obstruction» From the left on its reform of the public audiovisual, the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, drawn, this Friday, July 11 in the morning, the constitutional weapon of the “blocked vote” to end this text before the parliamentary holidays, which start theoretically this evening. Allowing, in the afternoon, to senators to decide on the text, largely adopted, by 194 votes for and 113 against.
A first victory for this text with a chaotic course, brought to arm by the minister in the face of the hostility of the unions. This reform essentially plans to create a holding company on January 1, 2026, France Médias, which would oversee France Télévisions, Radio France and the INA (National Audiovisual Institute), under the authority of a Chairman and CEO.
While its adoption seemed to be assured in advance, in a majority of the right -wing Senate, the examination of the text ultimately advanced only very low on Thursday. Repeated session suspensions, reminders of the regulation, preliminary rejection motions, invective in a mess … In addition to eight hours of debate, the senators barely started the examination of article 1 of the bill of Senator Laurent Lafon. On the maneuver: the left, determined to play the watch, while the extraordinary session must theoretically end today at midnight.
Friday morning, when resuming, nothing suggested that discussions could accelerate. Just over half an hour after the start of the debates, Rachida 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”. This procedure, very rarely used, makes it possible to accelerate the debates by organizing only one vote, on the text and the amendments that the government chooses to keep.
“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 even obstruction ”, she justified. About 300 amendments were left to debate. The debates, suspended around 10:15 am, resumed almost two hours later, and the president of the meeting Didier Mandelli (LR) took note of the government’s request.
The speakers of the left successively protested 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 Parliament ”, She thundered, recalling that the Senate had other tools at his disposal to discipline discussions.
“It is you who are responsible for the fact that the debate cannot take place. It is not us ”, replied the rapporteur of the text, Cédric Vial (LR). The president of the Culture Commission, Laurent Lafon (UDI), also defended the government’s decision, pointing out “Characterized” intended for “Preventing the Senate to confirm its support” to the text. According to parliamentary sources, the decision to trigger the “Blocked vote” Has on the table since Thursday.
But, while the president of the Senate and the Minister of Relations with Parliament were inclined to let the debate take place, “It’s Rachida Dati”, on the front line facing the left, which “At one point […] decided for everyone ”, According to a heavy goods vehicle.
In addition, the debates have already been “Escamotés” At first reading at the Assembly on June 30, after the surprise vote of a rejection motion filed by environmentalists, facing the deserted benches of the government coalition. Thanks to its adoption in the Senate, it will therefore return to the fall to the Assembly, on an indefinite date.
