On Tuesday 29 April, at the end of questions to the Government, the National Assembly adopted the draft law aimed at getting France out of the drug trafficking trap, after more than 50 hours of debate, a joint committee and the examination of nearly 800 amendments.
As co-rapporteur of this text, I am delighted with this broad vote, despite a journey marked by two pitfalls: the systematic obstruction of La France Insoumise, which tried to unravel the law article by article, and the punitive one-upmanship of the Rassemblement National, out of touch with the realities on the ground. Far from these postures, we have held firm to preserve the spirit of transparency that has guided this work since the Senate, where the text was adopted unanimously thanks in particular to the Socialist and Republican rapporteurs.
This same spirit animated our discussions in the Assembly, and I am proud to have been able to contribute to it. The text was not perfect when it came out of the Senate, but we have strengthened it considerably, making it more effective, more operational and more protective.
It is crucial for three reasons:
- It responds to a pervasive criminal phenomenon that is corrupting our neighbourhoods and destabilising our institutions.
- It tackles the high end of the spectrum of organised crime, by giving new resources to our law enforcement agencies and our justice system.
- It is the embodiment of a demanding political effort, carried out across party lines, that is equal to the challenge.
The concrete advances we have achieved include:
- The creation of the National Anti-Organised Crime Prosecutor's Office (PNACO), a real pillar in the fight against drug trafficking.
- Extended use of videoconferencing to reduce the number of extractions and prevent tragedies such as the one in Incarville.
- The reinstatement of the ‘dossier-coffre’, which guarantees better protection for investigators and witnesses.
- The new high-security prisons called for by the Minister of Justice.
Against a backdrop of increasing violence against our prisons and prison officers, this bill provides practical tools for those on the front line: security forces, judges, local councillors and educators.
I will continue to work hard to ensure that this law is implemented with ambition, so that together we can lead our country out of the grip of drug traffickers for good.
