Lyhanna Affair: A Renaissance lawmaker expresses her 'shame' over the 'image' the Assembly projects

Laure Miller, a lawmaker from the Renaissance party, voiced deep shame and frustration over the conduct of her colleagues in the French National Assembly. Her outburst came during a session discussing child protection, overshadowed by the recent tragic death of 11-year-old Lyhanna, who has become a symbol of sexual violence against children.

“

I no longer want to follow my remarks at all because I am ashamed of the image we are projecting.

Following a moment of silence and somber remarks from Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet about the state's collective failure to protect vulnerable individuals, Miller felt compelled to deviate from her prepared speech. Holding her notes, the elected official from the Marne region expressed exasperation with the partisan bickering she witnessed.

"I no longer want to follow my remarks at all because I am ashamed of the image we are projecting," Miller declared in the hemicycle. She criticized her fellow deputies for "passing the buck like children in a schoolyard" and focusing on individual blame rather than collective action. This behavior, she noted, occurred just days after demonstrations demanding accountability and child protection measures.

“

passing the buck like children in a schoolyard

Miller had hoped for a more constructive atmosphere, stating, "I imagined, perhaps naively, that we would finally be constructive because that is what people expect from us on a subject like this: that we all sit down together to work for our children." She emphasized that the issue transcends political divides, calling it a "matter of great scope." The lawmaker apologized for the "deplorable image" presented by the Palais Bourbon, lamenting that such conduct erodes public trust in politics.

“

I imagined, perhaps naively, that we would finally be constructive because that is what people expect from us on a subject like this: that we all sit down together to work for our children.

"If being a deputy in 2026 is like this, then I don't feel like a deputy, I feel like a citizen and I feel disappointed," Miller stated, before redirecting her attention to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. She urged him to take the lead on the issue and bring together willing individuals, setting aside political differences to find solutions.

“

If being a deputy in 2026 is like this, then I don't feel like a deputy, I feel like a citizen and I feel disappointed.