On Tuesday, October 11, the Senate begins the first reading of the Interior Ministry’s Orientation and Programming Bill, which provides for a financial effort of 15 billion euros over five years and the creation of 8,500 police and gendarmerie units. . For this first round of parliament, Gérald Darmanin’s text shouldn’t face much trouble in a right-wing constituency. Nevertheless, more than 200 amendments were proposed, mostly by the left.
Lopmi has been cut in half compared to its original version, which was sent to parliament before the presidential election. The minister expects “deep transformation” of his ministry. He does not understand the controversial reform of the judicial police, which now faces the hostility of many investigators and magistrates. But the topic is likely to reignite the debate anyway, barely days after the sacking of the head of the judicial police in the south of France.
Fighting cybercrime
Basically, the bill provides an additional 15 billion euros in the budget over five years, half of which is for digital investments. The 2023 Home Affairs budget is already part of this outlook, with an announced +6% increase compared to 2022 to €22 billion. The text envisages the creation of 8,500 police and gendarmerie stations within five years, including “3000 from 2023”, according to Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne. In particular, this involves preparing for the two major international sporting events that France will host in 2023 (Rugby World Cup) and 2024 (Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris).
To combat cybercrime, which has been on the rise in recent years, the bill allows for the seizure of digital assets such as cryptocurrencies. As for the “ransomware” program (such as the $10 billion ransom demand from the Corbay-Essons Hospital Center victim of the cyber attack), it makes reimbursement by insurance companies conditional on the victim filing a complaint.
It also provides for tougher penalties for sexist offenses and includes several measures to streamline criminal proceedings.
“Logic of Means”
Among the amendments in committee, senators passed an amendment to increase penalties for denial of claims, municipal rodeos and violence against elected officials. Another notable change. they thwarted the generalization the government wanted, which would have required a fixed penalty for infringement (AFD) for all offenses punishable by less than a year in prison. They limited the expansion of the AFD to a “positive list” of about ten new offences, such as tagging, the offense of obstructing traffic, and unauthorized use of an alarm signal on trains. They again voted socialist amendments to facilitate admission and access to online procedures for victims with disabilities.
For rapporteurs Marc-Philippe Dobres (LR) and Loic Hervé (centrist), the senatorial majority cannot. “objectively” opposed to a text that gives more means to the interior. The leader of the LR senators, Bruno Retailo, however, regrets being part of “logic of means”evaluating “That we will only solve the security issue when we end the judicial weakness and the migration weakness.”. On the left, the communists and environmentalists in the committee voted against the text, which, according to the majority communist CRCE group. “Giving Repressive Police”. Socialists abstained. For their leader, Patrick Kanner, “The text is insufficient, but the group is in favor of additional measures for the police, the republican security element.”
At the end of the first reading of the Senate, a solemn vote will be held on October 18, then the deputies will take turns working on the amended text.
Source: Le Figaro
