Benalla affair: muscled sessions of explanations in Parliament

Emmanuel Macron remains resolutely mute in Benalla affair, Edouard Philippe and his government will be submitted Tuesday on behalf of the executive to the rolling questions of deputies and senators, after several days of disorder, blockages and first parliamentary hearings Monday.

At 15:00 to the Assembly, then 16:45 in the Senate, the ministers will have to block to defend the Elysee, crossed by the first major political crisis of the five-year Macron after the broadcast of videos showing Alexander Benalla, a close collaborator of the Head of State, by train to strike and mistreat two demonstrators on May 1.

These explanations of the executive are all the more expected that they were ardently demanded by the oppositions.

These, taking advantage of a majority "initially lost" in the words of a government source, caused serious shaking in the Assembly. Consequence: the study of the draft constitutional law, stalled, was eventually sent back to school.

"After the obstruction and controversy, now is the time when the government will answer to parliamentarians" , it is stressed in Matignon, where we welcome a "beginning of return to normal" in the Chamber, with the resumption Monday afternoon of work, namely the examination of the bill on vocational training.

Like Emmanuel Macron, Edouard Philippe has shown a remarkable reserve, despite the blows left and right asking him to come to explain as soon as possible in the hemicycle. Refusing the pressure, the Prime Minister did not wish to give a different frame to his answers than these traditional sessions of questions to the government where he will surrender "fighting spirit", according to his entourage.

"The executive would have been tried to interfere in a case if we had spoken," said the spokesman of the government Benjamin Griveaux, AFP, estimating that Emmanuel Macron has "made the choice of institutions ".

"So there would be only bad choices: we talk, we interfere, we do not talk, we hide," he adds, calling henceforth to "put rational in a debate plagued by a lot of political passions and that basically made a little pschitt ". Monday, the macronie rose crescendo in the niche to refute in unison any "state affair."

This line will be traced again Tuesday at the usual breakfast of the majority in Matignon, in which participate the bosses of the group The Republic in March, Richard Ferrand, and MoDem, Marc Fesneau, as well as the Secretary of State for Relations with the Parliament Christophe Castaner. The Prime Minister could then go to the meeting of the group LREM (from 11H00) to be held in camera, without employees, before a stormy vigilance afternoon.

– "It's going to be hot!" –

"It's going to be hot, it's going to be an audition that does not say its name", warns French MP Eric Coquerel before these + QAG +.

"Let opposites want to devote all their time to a case which is not one "but is" an individual drift "," it is their most strict right ", replies Mr. Griveaux assuring that there are topics that interest the French more"

In the Senate, "the first seven questions will be reserved for the case," said Monday the president of the Socialist Group Patrick Kanner.

However, "the Prime Minister has no power or no real responsibility in this case, which is the sole responsibility of the Elysee, "has in turn criticized with AFP Marine Le Pen.

Part of this feverish expectation was defused by the hearing Monday the Minister of Interior Gérard Collomb before the Assembly Law Commission, dot "A political tribunal", has already denounced on LCI Mr. Griveaux, wondering about the "deontology" of this commission, in particular the co-rapporteur (LR) Guillaume Larrivé.

The Minister of State denied having committed any fault in the management of this case and charged the possible defaults including the prefect Michel Delpuech police. Who, in the wake, defended himself step by step and returned Elysee and place Beauvau to their responsibilities.

Emmanuel Macron's Chief of Staff, Patrick Strzoda, Ajaccio, February 6, 2018 / POOL / AFP / Archives