In the National Assembly, when it comes to numbers, deputies from other parties sometimes refer to the Republican Right (DR, the Les Républicains party group) as “the VL group.” “VL” as the initials of Véronique Louwagie. Since the start of budget debates in October, the Orne MP has been on the right bench. Morning, noon and night as usual. And it does not matter if the probable recourse to article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows the adoption of a text without a vote, risks making obsolete the hundreds of hours that could have been spent debating the finance bill for 2025. “I have a certain coherence in my commitments and my involvement”says the vice president of the finance commission.
His parliamentary Stakhanovism arouses the admiration of the “neighbor” of his electorate, Philippe Gosselin. “She respects the slogan of the soldiers in Verdun: we maintain our position and do not pass”summarizes the elected representative of Les Républicains (LR) de la Manche. “For me she is one of the ten model deputies of the Assembly”even Jean-Philippe Tanguy suggests. Rather accustomed to murderous formulas, the deputy of the National Rally (RN) of the Somme makes an exception for his commission colleague. “In sessions or committees, she is usually the only LR present. “She laughs about it herself.”explains the specialist in budgetary issues of the far-right party. Good comrade, Véronique Louwagie avoids putting too much pressure on her group mates and judges “ understandable » there “low mobilization” deputies of the “common base” (the alliance of center and right parliamentarians who support Barnier’s government) against the “Disempowerment of the left who vote for billions in additional taxes with the help of the RN.”
Faithful to her position, this 63-year-old accountant defends her line: that of a right-wing budgetary orthodoxy, opposed to tax increases and willing to drastically cut spending. “We radically disagree on budget issues, but she is competent and respectful in the debates”greets the chairman of the finance committee, Eric Coquerel. When absent, the “rebel” recognizes “I will be very happy to entrust you with holding the debates.”
Launched into politics in 2012
Elected member of the Assembly since 2012, Normande was running for the presidency of the finance committee. Despite the agreement between the RD group and the presidential side on the distribution of positions of responsibility in the Assembly, which led her to think that the position was destined for her, she was defeated on July 20 by the alliance between the left and the center. Liberties, Independents, Territories and Overseas (LIOT) group. “I couldn’t do much against this team” She judges. But nothing that calls into question his status as “Mme Budget” from the right. “Within the group, I wouldn’t say that at the moment they ask me for advice every day, but almost” she smiled.
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