Prime Minister Jean Castex to the Assembly, July 15, 2020. -

Jacques Witt / SIPA

  • The Assembly resumed its work on Tuesday.

    This return to school began with a questioning session to the electric government.

  • The executive is under fire from the opposition for its management of the health crisis, in a context of resumption of the epidemic.

  • The recovery plan is also attacked by members of the left and right, but the government is keen to provide after-sales service.

Some faces are more tanned, more relaxed, others have the features already drawn, but we do not see much, wearing the mask requires.

The deputies were back in the Hemicycle on Tuesday, after a month of suspension of public sessions.

Before examining four texts, including the research reform and that of the EESC, the parliamentarians engaged in the traditional session of questions to the government.

The opportunity, for the majority, to provide after-sales service for its anti-coronavirus health measures and its economic recovery plan, in the face of very strong opposition.

The (difficult) return of Castaner

At 3 p.m., the Chamber is almost full: no more distancing or quotas on the benches of the Assembly, as in June.

But the microphones are carefully disinfected between each speaking.

Under the tapestry of the Athens school, which was given a facelift during the summer, the deputies seem as dissipated as a fourth grade class on the first day of school.

And it is not the intervention of Christophe Castaner that will mitigate the hubbub.

The former Minister of the Interior, who left the government thanks to the reshuffle in July, returned to the benches of the Palais-Bourbon, as deputy for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

A week ago, he was elected, by 25 votes, president of the group La République en Marche.

As soon as he takes the floor to question the Prime Minister on the recovery plan, cries are heard, from the benches of the right and the left (but with the masks, difficult to know who hoots the former tenant of Beauvau).

Impassive, "Casta" continues, inaudible.

The opposition concerned about the management of the epidemic

The government's health strategy very quickly came under fire.

Socialist deputy Alain David denounces "the inconsistency between the tone" [of the executive] and "the reality of the figures" of the contaminations, but also the "lack of anticipation" and the "manifest lack of coordination" between government announcements and measures taken at the local level, in Gironde or in Bouches-du-Rhône in particular.

“The State, today, is not necessarily a State which decides everything from Paris!

», Replied Jean Castex, applauded by the marchers, and this time the right, sensitive to the theme of decentralization.

At Les Républicains, the angle of attack on Covid-19 is more economical.

MP LR Eric Woerth accuses the majority of having "remained in the midst of the ford concerning the reforms" and of having drawn up "an ultra-centralized recovery plan".

On the government side, the response is optimistic.

"The latest figures from the Banque de France show that the recession in 2020 will be less severe than expected and that France is on the right track", says the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, who mentions "reasons for hope ”, praising the stimulus plan.

The government has put "the package" on the recovery, adds Jean Castex.

Asked by the Liberties and Territories deputy Paul Molac, the Prime Minister took the opportunity to announce a new measure for the economy, with 30 million euros released to “save” the ferry companies, half of which for Brittany Ferries.

I am satisfied with the announcement of @JeanCASTEX following my question during the #QAG, to reimburse the employee contributions up to 15 million euros.

With all the Breton elected officials, we will remain vigilant about the future of @BrittanyFerries https://t.co/KhjfyMJQZl

- Paul Molac (@Paul_Molac) September 15, 2020

Attacks on back-to-school management

Asked about the deadlines for getting tested for Covid-19, or the care of patients with persistent symptoms, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, does not seem to convince his audience.

But it is the question of the start of the school year that increases the tension at the end of the session.

"It's the second start of the school year under Covid, you had time to organize it, what's going on?

»Launches the rebellious deputy of Ariège Michel Larive to Jean-Michel Blanquer, heckled by the opposition.

"The start of the school year went badly, everywhere, students are lost to follow-up, especially in Seine-Saint-Denis", continues the elected, while the closings of classes and establishments have been linked since the resumption of classes .

In response, the Minister of Education attacks the boss of the Insoumis, accusing Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who had declared in April that he would not send his child to school on May 11, of serving the "most children. disadvantaged ”.

"We made the return as normal as possible in circumstances that everyone recognizes as particularly complicated", sinks the minister, under the boos of the left.

After this first electric session, the Chamber was almost emptied, and the deputies followed up with the examination of a bill of the majority on “territories zero long-term unemployed”.

Before getting down to the budget marathon soon.

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  • Covid 19

  • Recovery plan

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  • Coronavirus

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