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🇫🇷 France /Elections & Politics

French lawmakers’ return to parliament delayed until October, drawing criticism

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • France’s government postponed the National Assembly’s return from late September to early October.
  • An executive source said the delay would allow the Sept. 27 Senate elections to proceed without parliament sitting.
  • Several deputies criticized what they called a forced holiday, while a Macronist figure said Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had yielded to senators’ pressure.

French deputies will have to wait until early October to resume work at the National Assembly, after the government changed an initial plan for them to return at the end of September.

The objective is to allow the Senate elections to take place under good conditions. During election periods, parliament does not sit.

— Executive sourceThe source explained the government’s justification for delaying the National Assembly’s return.

The government links the delay to the Senate elections scheduled for Sept. 27. “The objective is to allow the Senate elections to take place under good conditions. During election periods, parliament does not sit,” an executive source told Le Figaro.

The decision has not gone down well with several deputies. Both deputies and senators are expected to be back at work in about a month, when examination is due to begin on the first bill, a comprehensive proposal addressing sexist and sexual violence. But some lawmakers say the postponement will leave them on an unwanted extended break.

The government tells us it is struggling to pass all the bills, but leaves us on forced holiday until early October.

— Senior National Assembly figureA deputy criticized the postponement as inconsistent with the government’s legislative workload.

“The government tells us it is struggling to pass all the bills, but leaves us on forced holiday until early October,” a senior National Assembly figure said. A Macronist official offered a different political reading, saying, “Lecornu gave in to pressure from the senators.”

Lecornu gave in to pressure from the senators.

— Macronist officialThe official characterized the decision as a concession to senators.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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