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French Senate Left-Wing Senators Walk Out Over Government's 'Coup de Force' on 2025 Budget

Dec 1, 2024, 04:17 PM

During the Senate's debate on the 2025 budget, left-wing senators staged a walkout to protest what they described as a 'coup de force' by the government. The government, along with the Senate rapporteur, requested a series of second deliberations on the budget, effectively nullifying the Senate's contributions. This move was criticized by senators from the Socialist Party, La France Insoumise, and the Ecologist group, who accused the government of undemocratic tactics and undermining the Senate's role in the budget process. Thierry Cozic, a Socialist senator, accused the government of being a 'bad loser' for passing the budget by force. Christian Bilhac, a senator from the RDSE group, shared the indignation, calling it a 'democratic masquerade' under the guise of deficit reduction. Eric Coquerel, a deputy from La France Insoumise, warned that if the government uses Article 49.3, it could face a motion of censure, potentially leading to its downfall.