Paris (AFP)
The National Assembly will resume its work on Thursday in "restricted format" to examine the emergency texts facing the epidemic of coronavirus, said Tuesday the presidency of the institution in a press release.
A session of topical questions to the government is also scheduled for Thursday at 9:00 am, during which "only the speakers and the group presidents will be present in the hemicycle".
"The examination in committee then in session of the amending finance bill will take place on Thursday, and that of the ordinary bill on the emergency measures linked to the Coronavirus-COVID19 crisis on Friday", added the holder of the perch Richard Ferrand (LREM), after an audio conference of the Presidents of the Assembly.
The "restricted format" provided will "guarantee (r) compliance with health rules and the representation of all political sensitivities", he specifies, while at least 18 deputies and two senators have been contaminated by the coronavirus, not counting collaborators.
The Senate chaired by Gérard Larcher (LR) must also resume its work on Thursday, with the examination of the bill allowing the postponement of the second round of municipal elections, probably in June, and extending the mandate of current municipal councilors, told l 'AFP the patron of senators LR Bruno Retailleau. This text concerning communities must in fact be submitted first to the upper house.
A session of questions to the government must also be organized in the Senate.
Emmanuel Macron, who met with Richard Ferrand and Gérard Larcher on Monday, asked that the emergency texts "be voted on as quickly as possible," he said in his televised address in the evening. He mentioned in particular the presentation in the Council of Ministers of a bill allowing "if necessary to legislate by ordinances in the areas strictly related to crisis management".
As in the Senate, where this is already the rule, a special voting device for the sessions at the Palais Bourbon will be established: the presidents of political groups will be able to "cast the votes of all the deputies of their group, thus avoiding having the seat seated. 'all deputies to vote ", argued the President of the Assembly.
Excluding "urgent and essential texts" in the face of the coronavirus and "control of the action of the executive", "all other activities are suspended until further notice", decided Richard Ferrand, the presidents of the political groups and the commissions , in agreement with the government.
The atmosphere of this telephone meeting was "serious but unanimous", according to an LREM official. Texts should be adopted with a fairly broad consensus.
An assembly fact-finding mission will be created "on the impact, management and consequences in all its dimensions of the epidemic", it was further noted.
The boss of the PS and deputy Olivier Faure said Tuesday on Cnews his will to lead the "fight all together" against the coronavirus. But "democracy, even in times of health crisis, is not intermittent, and therefore it is necessary that the oppositions can exercise their counter-power, and that we do not pass into a form of government of only one", has he stressed, promising to be "vigilant", in particular with regard to the authorizations to the government to legislate by ordinances.
© 2020 AFP