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French constitutional revision dispute

Overview

A political dispute has emerged in France regarding the legal procedure for constitutional revisions. Richard Ferrand, President of the Constitutional Council, rejected a proposal by the Rassemblement National (RN) to utilize Article 11 of the Constitution to implement policies such as migration reforms and national preference via referendum.

Ferrand argued that constitutional amendments must instead follow Article 89, which necessitates identical votes from both the National Assembly and the Senate. He noted that while Article 11 was used by General de Gaulle in 1962, the Constitutional Council now holds the authority to judge the legality of referendum decrees, which could block such attempts.

In response, RN leaders have demanded Ferrand’s resignation. Marine Le Pen accused him of violating the obligation of neutrality, while Jordan Bardella criticized him for failing his duty of reserve. The RN maintains that the public should be able to decide directly on major institutional orientations to bypass parliamentary deadlocks.

Expanding the conflict, parliamentarians from the RN and the Union des droites pour la République (UDR) have formally petitioned the Constitutional Council to demand the forced resignation of Ferrand. The RN and UDR argue that Ferrand breached his duty of impartiality by publicly taking a position on a legal matter that may eventually fall under the Council's jurisdiction. They have appealed to the Council's eldest member, Alain Juppé, citing regulations that prohibit members from expressing public opinions on issues likely to be subject to Council decisions, claiming his remarks undermine the institution's integrity.

Entities

Rassemblement National · Richard Ferrand · Conseil constitutionnel · Marine Le Pen · Bruno Retailleau

Timeline

  1. [POLITICS] 5 sources
    Richard Ferrand faces removal attempt by RN and UDR

    The Rassemblement National and UDR have petitioned the French Constitutional Council to force the resignation of President Richard Ferrand over claims of partiality regarding constitutional reform procedures.

  2. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Rassemblement National leaders demand resignation of Constitutional Council President

    Rassemblement National leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella are demanding the resignation of Constitutional Council President Richard Ferrand over his stance on constitutional revision via referendum.

  3. [POLITICS] 5 sources
    Richard Ferrand rejects RN proposal to use Article 11 for constitutional referendums

    Richard Ferrand has rejected the Rassemblement National's plan to use Article 11 for constitutional changes, insisting that all revisions must follow the Article 89 parliamentary procedure.

Sources

24matins.fr · bvoltaire.fr · entrevue.fr · gentside.com · lcp.fr · nicolasdragon.com · notretemps.com · republicain-lorrain.fr · rfi.fr · vosgesmatin.fr

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history