Even if their mandate ends in June, some deputies already know that they will not return to the National Assembly: they have decided not to represent themselves.Among them, Annie Chapelier, who made a judgment without appeal to the functioning of the Parliament.
She was one of these new faces, one these elected officials from civil society, who entered politics in the wake of Emmanuel Macron in 2017.Annie Chapelier receives us in her (all) small office of the National Assembly.""""I had a very comfortable office, with a bed.When I took a foot-to-terre, I had to move.I was given the choice between two closets, I took this one, """"she launched in a laugh.The deputy for the 4th Gard district spent time there, in this office.""""It has happened to me two or three times to sleep on the carpet,"""" laughs the nurse-anesthesiologist by profession, who tells """"the week of 60 hours minimum, sometimes more than 100 hours"""".She leaves the place """"Quiet Consciousness"""" but above all """"extremely bitter"""".When asked if she has the feeling of having been useful, answers it: """"No!""""
""""It's totally dysfunctional""""
From there comes her desire to """"denounce"""" everything which, according to her, does not turn round at the Bourbon palace.First, a universe that remains """"very masculine"""" despite the feminization of the hemicycle which has accelerated again 5 years ago (224 deputies out of 577).""""It has evolved a lot,"""" admits Annie Chapelier.""""But that does not mean that the role of women and that of men are balanced"""".
Then, an assembly that votes too many texts (about 500 per mandate) for little efficiency.""""We advance on certain points, we take small steps,"""" she admits, citing the extension of the abortion period.""""But at the cost of how much efforts? How many people mobilized? What financial cost? It is completely dysfunctional.The slightest company that would work with the same profitability would put the key under the door after a year! """"
Une majorité trop """"docile""""
In his viewfinder too, her colleagues walking.The Gard deputy had slammed the door of the La République en Marche group in January 2020, denouncing a lack of internal democracy.The one who sits today at the Agir group - the macronist right - is still so scathing, even if she has remained in the presidential majority: """"This is one of LREM's rare successes...They lost around fifty parliamentarians, but they managed to make very docile people, also.""""
De son expérience d'élue déçue, Annie Chapelier a tiré un livre, qu'elle espère publier avant l'élection présidentielle : """"Un Parlement en toc"""".A deliberately provocative title, inspired by the statue of Montesquieu who sits in the garden of the Bourbon Palace. """"La tradition veut que si un député lui caresse le pied, il aura un texte de loi voté à son nom"""", raconte-t-elle. """"J'ai découvert que la statue était en toc.It's plaster, the original is in the cellars of the assembly.If you type on it, it sounds hollow...""""
Constat sévère, qu'elle espère salutaire : Annie Chapelier veut alerter sur la nécessite de renouveler d'urgence les institutions démocratiques, un """"rendez-vous manqué"""" du quinquennat d'Emmanuel Macron.Like her, around thirty majority deputies are tempted not to represent themselves.
