Jean Castex, November 24, 2020 at the National Assembly.

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Jacques Witt / SIPA

Less than 24 hours after the announcement of the creation of an independent commission by Jean Castex, Matignon backtracked.

In the end, it will not be responsible for rewriting the controversial article 24 of the “Global Security” bill, the Prime Minister's office announced on Friday.

The "rewriting of a legislative provision (...) can only be the responsibility of Parliament", insisted Matignon, after receiving a letter from the President of the Assembly Richard Ferrand in the morning expressing his "opposition" to this committee and another of the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher asking him to renounce it.

Crisis in Parliament

The commission, whose work results are expected by January 15, 2021 "at the latest", "may formulate proposals of a legal, procedural nature, or relating to the fields of training, education or any other field which it requires. would appear relevant, particularly with regard to the working conditions and intervention of the press and the police ”.

Headed by the president of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), Jean-Marc Burguburu, this commission was initially to be charged with "proposing a new wording of article 24".

But this idea, launched Thursday evening, caused a political and institutional crisis between the executive and Parliament, even tearing the majority apart.

Several parliamentarians received in Matignon

In order to try to calm the atmosphere, the Prime Minister receives Friday evening the presidents of the parliamentary groups of the majority (LREM, MoDem, Agir) as well as the president of the Law Commission in the Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet, " to discuss the perimeter ”of the commission's roadmap,“ the sole purpose of which is to enlighten the Government in its reflection, while respecting the constitutional prerogatives of the legislator ”.

"I believe that the conditions for a calm and peaceful debate are met and that we must move forward", welcomed the boss of LREM deputies Christophe Castaner in a message to his troops consulted by AFP.

"Qualified personalities" to form this commission

Jean Castex therefore backtracked, already entangled in the controversies surrounding this article 24, voted on first reading by the National Assembly and which must be submitted to the Senate, planning to penalize the malicious dissemination of the image of police and gendarmes.

The commission will draw up "proposals on the best way to reconcile absolute respect for the fundamental right to information and the protection of the security forces, essential in a democratic society", explains Matignon.

It should "bring together qualified personalities whose expertise is indisputable and representing in a balanced manner the various stakeholders (magistrates, lawyers, law enforcement, press editors and journalists)", Jean Castex still wishes.

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