Paris (AFP)

The Constitutional Council approved Thursday the new rules of procedure of the Assembly, with reservations of interpretation on the limitation of the time of the speeches of the deputies, which had caused the anger of the oppositions and their boycott of the debates.

The "Sages" are required by the Constitution (Article 61) to pronounce on the conformity of the National Assembly's regulations with the supreme law before the implementation of the text.

During the examination of the text in the spring in the Assembly, elected representatives LR, PS, PCF and LFI had accused the majority of wanting to "muzzle oppositions", "clamp down parliamentary debates", "deny the diversity and complexity of thought "," undermine the democratic breathing ", before boycotting the vote, a member even appearing in the gallery a gag on the mouth.

At the center of this revolt were several provisions of the new regulations intended, according to Assembly President Richard Ferrand (LREM) to make the discussions "more fluid and efficient".

To do this, one of the articles provides that the Conference of Presidents, which includes the President of the Assembly and the group presidents, allocate each group a speaking time of five or ten minutes to one or two speakers per group in the general discussion of a text, before the consideration of articles and amendments.

Today, speaking times are 15 minutes for LREM, 10 for other groups and 5 for non-members, without limiting the number of speakers.

On this point, the "Sages" have held that these limitations "can not be set in such a way that the requirements of clarity and sincerity of the parliamentary debate are rendered ineffective".

The Constitutional Council applied the same reservation to the limitation to two minutes and one speaker per group of interventions on the articles under discussion.

As for the limitation to one speaker per group of the presentation of identical amendments, the "Sages" called on the presiding officer to use it only "to prevent misuse".

One way for "wise men" to frame these limitations of expression and give members the opportunity to file appeals if they feel that their word has been unjustly hindered.

The Constitutional Council also censored two provisions, the first on the power of injunction of the ethics officer for a contradiction in its drafting and another which provided the possibility for a parliamentary committee to decide the hearing of ministers, because of principle of "separation of powers".

Finally, the "Sages" admitted the modification of the composition of joint committees (CMP) in a more favorable sense to the opposition provided that it does not deprive the majority of a representation reflecting its weight in the Assembly .

All the other provisions of the new by-law, which modifies in particular the progress of the questions to the government (single session, right of stimulus and increased speaking time for the opposition) or revives the right of petition, have been validated.

In a statement, Richard Ferrand welcomed that "almost all provisions were declared compliant", noting that the two censors "relate to minor provisions".

Philippe Gosselin (LR) noted for his part on Twitter that the "Sages" did not give "a green light to the reform", deeming it "happy for the democratic expression of the deputies".

And communist deputies have said they would "assert the reserves" of the Council "to enforce the rights of the opposition and more broadly those of the deputies".

The reformed regulation, which includes 59 articles, is to enter into force on 1 September.

? 2019 AFP