This Monday, November 21, Denis Thuriot, support of Emmanuel Macron, blew the presidency of the important commission to Dominique Alexandre Bourgois, support of Marine Le Pen, thanks to the votes of the regional majority of Marie-Guite Dufay.

The presidency of the finance commission of the regional council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté changes opposition. Following the broadcast of Gilles Platret (LR) of this function, a new vote had to be taken.

This Monday, November 21, 2022, Denis Thuriot (Renaissance) was elected by the members of the commission against Dominique Alexandre Bourgois (National Rally). Support from the first hour of Emmanuel Macron, mayor of Nevers, Denis Thuriot thus intended “not to leave a boulevard to the RN”.

Two resignations weaken the group of Gilles Platret

The starting point for this movement within the important Finance Committee dates back to last July and October. The opposition political group of the Union of Republicans and Independent Center and Ecologists, interpreted by Gilles Platret (LR), saw two of its members leave it.

These are two elected officials from Saône-et-Loire: Gérald Gordat who joined Horizons, the party which supports Édouard Philippe, and Dorothée Majewski-Sansinena (DLF). Both now sitting among the non-attached.

Until then, with 18 seats, the group was on par with the opposition group National Rally. Assuming to become “the 2nd opposition group”, Gilles Platret had resigned from the presidency of the finance commission to “offer the inhabitants of Burgundy and Franche-Comté an assumed and readable political line” and thus “prepare the alternation » (read the press release).

Tradition put to the test of political recomposition

Well before the vote, the elected representatives of the National Rally – and Gilles Platret himself – highlighted a tradition of “democratic control of regional finances” whereby the chairman of the said commission had previously come from the “opposition group the most important”.

This institutional practice taken into account in a context of left-right bipolarization. With the increase in the political weight of the National Front and then of the National Rally to support Marine Le Pen, the balance of power is changing. All the more so with the emergence of En Marche and then of Renaissance to support the action of Emmanuel Macron.

This political recomposition is found in the result of the vote on Monday, to the grandmother of Gilles Platret and Jacques Ricciardetti (RN), while, on the side of the majority of Marie-Guite Dufay (PS), the rules of procedure are brandished to ensure the legitimacy of the election of Denis Thuriot.

Ten votes of the regional majority

The committee has twenty members. According to our information, the four elected members of the Union of Republicans and Center and Independent Ecologists – including Gilles Platret, present on this commission – did not take part in the vote.

Dominique Alexandre Bourgois, absent and represented by Jacques Ricciardetti, nominated three votes.

Denis Thuriot, president of the political opposition group of elected progressives and the only member of this group participating in the commission, defined ten votes from the regional majority. One elected member abstained and one elected member left the room before the vote.

“I did not want to leave a boulevard to the RN”

“The RN applied, I also applied mine”, explained Denis Thuriot after the vote, “I did not want to leave a boulevard to the RN”. “Between two evils you have to take the lesser”, he analyzed, “it allows you to affirm to those who doubt it that you are indeed in opposition”.

“Nothing says that it is the most important group in number that has this presidency. I represent the other remaining opposition group. (…) Gilles Platret has made his choice, does not act. This is not why we must leave room for the far right that I am fighting, ”continued the progressive.

“An election is never a scandal”

“An election is never a scandal,” commented Denis Thuriot, echoing Gilles Platret’s disapproval of the turn of events. “It’s a rather good sign to have several candidates than just one”.

It could be that this situation where the function in question comes down to support from the presidential majority while he sits in a regional opposition is “unique in France”.

Now, the new chairman of the finance committee will take on the attaché of the vice-president in charge of finance Nicolas Soret (PS) and says he is “open to everyone except the extreme right” to possibly exchange with elected officials who have previously held this position.

Jean-Christophe Tardivon