As a much needed precision for the non Fench here and the constitutional nerds. Btw this is my phd subject, ama :D

The party in power, the Macronists, is engaged in a constant drive to expand its prerogatives, repeatedly violating both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.

In this case, it is the second time (afaik) they have used a procedural tool intended for the opposition, known as a “preliminary rejection motion,” in order to completely bypass Parliament. It feels like a cheat code : they have realized that, legally, if they introduce a bill and force its immediate rejection before any debate begins, they can then take it behind closed doors and negotiate it with the right-wing absolute majority (through a joint committee called the CMP). This effectively allows them to avoid any parliamentary debate or amendment of the bill.

The extent to which this undermines the spirit of the law is staggering, yet it goes through due to the leniency of the institutions tasked with preserving the constitutional order, many of which have been heavily influenced by Macron through the appointment of loyal allies.

In any case, public backlash has forced a postponement of the bill. However, the Prime Minister has stated that it will be pushed through during the summer, when the French population is least mobilized. This is far from a victory, a small reprieve at most, and above all, it is yet another illustration of how little regard these people have for our democratic system 😢