The national rally and the Republicans hastened to react to the proposal mentioned unofficially by the Ministry of the Interior, two weeks before the legislative elections.
Le Monde
Profectively mentioned by the Ministry of the Interior with several journalists, the idea of no longer withdrawing permit points during speeding of less than 5 km/h compared to the authorized speed caused, Thursday, May 26, first political reactions. These were certainly expected Place Beauvau, where no decision on this subject has yet been made, two weeks before the legislative elections.
The spokesperson for La République en Marche, Maud Bregeon, confirmed on RMC on Thursday morning, that “nothing is acted at the time of speaking” and that the project “is part of A global reflection “. The track explored Place Beauvau would no longer be to withdraw points for a “little excess” while retaining fines, which would concern 58 % of the 12.5 million tickets sent for speed excesses controlled by radars. One of the objectives displayed is to reduce the number of false declarations of drivers, some of which are replaced by a third party to avoid losing license points.
But the opposition sees it above all a political maneuver. During a trip to Seine-Maritime as part of the legislative campaign, the former candidate of the National Rally (RN), Marine Le Pen, recalled before the press that she had carried this measure within the framework of the Presidential. But “each time Emmanuel Macron takes up a proposal that I was able to do, he hurts it in harder”: the deputy for Pas-de-Calais, candidate for his re-election, recommends on his side not to withdraw from points for excesses of less than 20 km/h. What is on the table, according to her, is “it is a very small tiny gift”. “Watch out for the promises that are made within fifteen days that precede the election because in general, they are not held,” also warned the former candidate for the Elysée.
“It’s Christmas before time”
For Jordan Bardella, President of the RN and guest of the Matinale of France 2 program, Thursday, “it’s Christmas before time” from the government. “It’s always great, election periods,” he said, before we note: “We were the first in political life (…) to claim the end of the points permit, explaining that Motorists were not milk cows. “If he is therefore favorable to such a measure,” in automotive matters, priority is obviously the drop in gas taxes “, said the MEP.
The president of the Republicans, Christian Jacob, also considered that “to delete small points of points is rather a good thing that goes in the right direction”. However, “we must maintain the fine absolutely, otherwise there is no more limit,” he judged with RTL, before estimating that “as we are in electoral period, we can have a doubt on the announcements “. With President Emmanuel Macron, “we have known a lot of deviations” between “the words and the acts”, according to him.
The reactions were less enthusiastic on the side of road safety associations. The president of the league against road violence, Chantal Perrichon, considered to the agency France-Presse that it was necessary to be “of a filthy and mind-blowing ignorance to propose this”. “It is by fighting against small speeding that there will be a drop in mortality,” she said.
For Anne Lavaud, general delegate of the Road Prevention Association, create “elasticity at the threshold” could be taken “as an invitation to drive faster, when the road safety figures go upwards”. “This seems to us to scour the point permit system, often taken as an example abroad and appreciated by the French,” she said.
Conversely, this reflection “goes in the right direction” for Pierre Chasseray, general delegate of the association 40 million motorists. “We are finally listened to. This is a first step. Then, if the figures show that accidents do not increase, we will have to consider developing financial sanctions,” he said.