The President of the RN group, Marine Le Pen, and RN deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy were seen at the National Assembly on October 1, 2024. On October 31, many deputies were puzzled by the purpose of the debates happening that day, as they did not have any legislative significance. The day was spent debating obscure articles and amendments related to hypothetical reports on retirement that had already been discarded before being voted on. This was due to the Rassemblement national (RN) party, which controlled the agenda for their annual parliamentary session and chose to maintain a proposal to repeal the latest retirement reform, despite it being stripped of its content after going through a committee.
The far-right party decided to waste over five hours of the day on pointless discussions rather than admitting defeat to the left. The parliamentary session was seen as a parallel world only of interest to politicians and journalists, according to Jean-Philippe Tanguy, president of the RN group. The day was seen as a display of their commitment to social issues, as they did not want to be perceived as giving up on retirement reforms. However, the day turned into a portrayal of a bitter and powerless party as their promises to expose “social-traitors” fell flat.
The RN’s disappointment matched the expectations they had for October 31, where they hoped to take advantage of the left’s dilemma between making historic concessions to the far-right or abandoning a fundamental promise on retirement. They had prepared a communication strategy, including a website for voters to write to the MPs who reneged on their beliefs, and planned to distribute flyers with their names and photos in their constituencies. However, their plan fell apart when many left-wing MPs abstained in the social affairs committee, allowing the center and right to remove key provisions of the proposal. Attempts to reintroduce these elements through amendments were rejected by the President of the National Assembly.
The RN was prepared to do anything to avoid appearing defeated and was frustrated by the perceived underhanded tactics used by their opponents. Despite their efforts, they were unable to secure a successful vote on their proposal. The article hints at a growing rift between the political parties in France and the challenges faced by the far-right in pushing their agenda through the legislative process. It also highlights the importance of parliamentary procedures and the role of party discipline in shaping the outcomes of debates and votes in the National Assembly.
