Eric Wörth, the outgoing president of the conservative finance committee, who recently joined Macron’s camp, said the role of the chairman was to “control the actions of the government and public policies, not to stick my nose in [tax] records of this or that individual, family or business”. After the vote, he expressed “doubts that France Unbowed is complying with this”.
Gilles Carrez, his right-wing predecessor, said: “The fear is that because the LFI is consistently political and has an extremely strong ideological content, it could be tempted to organize leaks.
“Tax secrecy is dynamite and one must be extremely responsible. This is an essential element in a democratic state. Throwing the tax data of individuals or companies to the dogs is the beginning of totalitarianism.”
It is also punishable by one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros.
Mr Coquerel insisted he had no intention of ordering any “individual witch hunt” and said: “I embody real opposition to the system and the end of Thatcher’s ‘no alternative’,” he said. “We defend a program that breaks with neoliberalism, but we know how to do it within the framework of democracy.”
He said “we’re not going to use it to target political opponents,” but added that if he could use his position to track down tax evasion by big companies, “I wouldn’t hesitate to do that.”
The Commission also has the power to reject draft amendments to any legislation if it considers that it would place an undue burden on the public finances.
The result is a setback for the National Rally, which claimed it deserved the presidency as the largest opposition group with 89 seats. However, while the LFI has fewer MPs with 75, it is part of a wider left-green alliance called Nupes, which boasts a total of 151 seats.
The RN hoped to use the post to raise its profile as a credible party fit to govern. Jean-Philippe Tanguy, the defeated candidate, said his rival’s election was “not only illegitimate from the point of view of the rules, but also piracy and a serious threat to the country’s economic stability.”
Mr Macron’s failure to build a parliamentary majority complicates his reform plans and forces him to seek alliances with lawmakers from other parties to muster a majority that Elizabeth Born, his embattled prime minister, has so far failed to secure. She is due to outline her plans in an address to parliament next Wednesday.
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