from political battle to “constitutional war”

For a year, parliamentarians have been fighting merciless battles, where on each side, the best constitutionalists are in ambush. Xose Bouzas/Hans Lucas via Reuters

“My notions of constitutional law went back to my first year of studies. There, I learn every day”, smiles Thomas Ménagé. The RN deputy from Loiret, leader of his camp during pension reformhas seen in recent weeks the presidential troops as the elected officials of the Nupes invoke “just about all regulatory subterfuge to achieve their ends”. “Each time, everyone interprets the rules as they wish”, he regrets. To the point of completely bending rules hitherto unknown to the general public, and even to most parliamentarians?

Since the beginning of the legislature, and more particularly during the pension reform, all the deputies have made the same observation: in a National embly that is politically so fragmented, a good knowledge of the Constitution and the rules of the Lower House is a plus. negligible. Better: it can become a lethal weapon. Thus, after the discussions around article 49.3 or those concerning…