The Government sees the end of his ordeal

The Government sees the end of his ordeal. Except surprise, his Bill on the reform of local authorities, which the second reading by the high Assembly was rich in twists, should be adopted in the night by the Senate. Failed to empty it of its key provisions, the centrist group, whose votes are needed to reach a majority, had more reason to dissociate from the UMP on its final vote. He was to intervene later in the night, after review of the latest articles.

"It is difficult to decide against therefore that what was planned on the mode of election of territorial advisors and the distribution of the skills of the local device is no longer in the Bill," acknowledged Hervé Maurey, the very frondeur Senator CPU (centrist Union) of the Eure, before the resumption of the discussions. Section 35 blasting operation, introduced by the Parliament in first reading and defining the rules of distribution of the competence of the communes, departments and regions, succeeded beyond the expectations of his training. This provision is not a majority but unanimously against it or almost! Senators UMP after him have fought, rallied to the left to vote a centrist amendment referring this clarification work to another text which the review will need to intervene in a year. Disavowed, the Government found that 5 Senators to support it.

The continuation of the debate will not not happier. The fptp in two tours he defended to elect territorial advisors called to replace the General and regional advisors from 2014 is passed him also fall by the wayside. The left does not want. Nor the centrists, hawkish supporters of a system including a dose of proportional and including Senators UMP had voted the principle with them during the examination of the text at first reading. Nothing to see, therefore, with the copy which is the revenue of the National Assembly. Through it, the Government is will be back allies of the centre. To the end, the group chaired by Nicolas About (CPU, Yvelines) is block for offside the vote proposed by Matignon.

New shuttle

Shots blows to this Bill are so harsh. But they are not necessarily fatal to him. "The text will continue his life", provides the entourage of Alain Marleix, Secretary of State to local communities. "The National Assembly expected to take at the extraordinary session of September and, after a joint mixed Committee meeting, will be the last word. From here, the publication of the Act is in late October or early novembre. According to several centrist deputies, invited Tuesday to the Elysee, Nicolas Sarkozy intends to leave the last word in the National Assembly.

To erase the affront it has endured, the Government, which has the majority in the Palais-Bourbon, has no reason of is privrer to reintroduce the majority vote in the text and, why not, its rules of distribution of competences. "Deletion is really not reasonable." Local communities must make savings of structure, including avoiding duplicates. That is affected. "If it fails, they will have to make savings on their actions", explains Dominique Perben, Member of UMP du Rhône and rapporteur of the Bill. But to make fi of the positions of the Senate "would take a considerable risk of an Assembly representing local elected representatives," warns already Hervé Maurey, hoping that Matignon will propose a new shuttle.

The ball is in the case of the Government. In any event be console on the Ministry of the Interior, this text does not need to be reviewed fundamentally Fund. The institution of the territorial Councillors voted in identical terms by both houses, is acquired. The modernization and rationalization of the intermunicipal, essential chapter, there is a consensus. Still it took for this water down the content of certain innovations. This is the case of common news, creating conditions have hardened, and to future cities, whose skills and means have been planed for not scaring mayors.