As Chirac supporter Henri Cuq who had an impediment

For the first time under the Fifth Republic, the head of State spoke before the Parliament met in Congress in Versailles. Story of a rich, "historic" day also by its perquisites.

11 a.m.: the Tower heater

It is a mere formality; It is quickly shipped. The steps to load and Freehand, parliamentarians adopt the amendment to the regulations of Congress posted in the wake by the Council constitutional determining the modalities of speech of the President. Just try the Socialists, without too believe, to disrupt the meeting claiming that elected representatives sit in groups and not by alphabetical order. "A strategic stake!" quips Xavier Bertrand, the Secretary General of the UMP, at a press conference with Jean-François Copé, the pattern of UMP deputies. To show their "good agreement". In the corridors, deputies and Senators cite especially the next shuffle. Some already welcome the centrist Michel Mercier, who was aware of nothing. François Goulard, villepiniste fun: "I will be not to the Government." The opening is very relative.

12: 15 p.m.: fans

of the Jeu de Paume

A train of senators, Socialist parliamentarians leave the Palace of Versailles and head to the room of the Jeu de Paume "is where the members of the third State refused in 1789 to submit to the King of France". "It's a little meltdown, makes a little PS," quips one Senator. "It is not the wasters room" loose a disillusioned member. Before this historic site, the patron of the PS members, Jean-Marc Ayrault, recalled that, for the French democracy, "everything is party here two hundred and twenty years ago" and denounced the "ego Presidency session", "subservience to Parliament", a "non-confessed regime change." Socialist parliamentarians engage in multiple sessions of photos individual and collective before the martial statue of Sylvain Bailly, provisional President of the National Assembly on 20 June 1789, and other busts of members of the third State, more or less past for posterity...

15.00: speech

on the State of the France

The sentence pronounced by Bernard Accoyer, President of the Assembly, is historic: "I invite ladies and gentlemen Members of Congress to listen to the President of the Republic." Under high security, Nicolas Sarkozy made his entrance in the hemicycle of the aile du Midi. This is the first time since 1873 (and Adolphe Thiers) that a head of State expressed the parliamentarians. Surrounded by Claude Guéant always sober and Henri Guaino radiating , Carla Bruni-Sarkozy attends the event from the gallery. Jacques Chirac and Dominique de Villepin, who could attend, were wearing pale. As Chirac supporter Henri Cuq, who had "an impediment". Jacques Le Guen, he is there, but he found that "it is funny" to attend the "requiem" of the Fifth Republic. Most of the UMP but enjoy the moment, disgruntled step even if they are to defend to be under the ors of the Palace of Versailles. Until the President arrives, some are are taken photo. At the tribune, Nicolas Sarkozy declared his first "speech on the State of the Union". The tone is placed, voluntarily calmer than in the usual. Forty-five minutes later, the right is a "standing ovation". The left dog. President Trump.

15: 45: TOHU-bohu

in the corridors

It is the rush: deputies and senators out of the room and join the corridors. Before microphones and cameras, the left insists its message. "A small policy speech that could have been a poor Prime Minister", denounces the Socialist Pascal terrace. "Nicolas Sarkozy puts on the pearls", said the MP for the Deux-Sèvres Delphine Batho. "At least the Prime Minister is informed that his Government will be redesigned Wednesday!" scoffs Laurent Fabius. A speech for nothing "A left for nothing", says Eric Woerth, Minister of the Budget. "I don't them like all but I enjoyed this speech here," provides the UMP MP François Baroin.

16 hours: "true-false" debate

There is this first "pschitt!". In the absence of the Communists and the Greens (who are not moved to Versailles), but the Socialists and François Bayrou (who refused to speak in the absence of Nicolas Sarkozy), the debate, organized after the intervention of the head of State, turning into a succession of monologues of leaders of the majority. In the sparse spans, politicians talk to each other, write their mail or are immersed in the newspaper... Discordant voice: that of the Gaullist and sovereignist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan. The opportunity for him to mock on "words" of the head of State: "it now acts follow the speech and wish good courage to Prime Minister." A François Fillon whose name will barely pronounced in the day...