THE WORLD'S BIGGEST MUSEUM
Hello everyone. France loves paradoxes.
It is quite funny
that the parliamentary life of the French Republic
has been located, for over 200 years
inside an aristocratic palace. And not just any aristocracy.
As you know, it is the Palais Bourbon,
as it belonged to the Duchess of Bourbon in the 18th century.
Today we will tell you the prestigious story
of French parliamentary life
through those who live it here, from the inside.
Such as Bernard Accoyer and Manuel Valls
Follow me.
Draw!
Since when has there been a military detachment at the Assemblée?
From the start. The regulations of the legislative body
of January 27th, 1800 states that the President of the Assemblée...
MILITARY COMMANDER OF PALAIS-BOURBON
… is met by the troops who produce their weapons and to the sound of drums.
The sound of drums. So, we're in 1800 and Napoleon Bonaparte is the Consul.
What is this detachment's mission?
Does it protect the MPs? - The detachment has many functions.
It is used for the protection and security of the area
as well as a mission of honor,
as, at the start of every session, the military commander or my deputy
salutes the President.
Is this sanctified republican ritual important to you?
Through this symbol, we show
that the armed forces are under the orders of legislative power.
Throughout the guard's history...
PUBLIC LOBBY
… it is closely linked to the history of Parliament.
Remember that Major Meunier, my predecessor in 1852,
gave his life to defend Parliament.
During Napoleon III's coup.
We are now in the Hôtel de la Lassay with Bernard Accoyer,
President of the Assemblée Nationale. - Welcome.
We are delighted to be in this prestigious place.
Voltaire said it was a very beautiful hotel.
He wasn't lying, was he?
Do you remember Tuesday July 3rd, 2007,
when you presided over your first Assemblée Nationale?
Of course. How do you forget such an emotional and powerful moment?
Especially for a citizen who was a latecomer to public life
and who never thought, after a 30 year-long career,
PRESIDENT OF THE ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE
that he would have the honor of presiding over the Assemblée Nationale.
The Hôtel de la Lassay and Palais Bourbon are the crucible of everything.
Do you feel the weight of history? - Yes.
More so in the corridors close to the auditorium.
It really feels like those black and white tiles
have seen everyone go by who has had a role
in France's history ever since the Revolution.
The Hôtel de Lassay is the residence of the President of the Assemblée Nationale.
What is the function of this magnificent hotel?
Mainly, receptions. Every week there are foreign figures here,
plus government or state leaders.
The Salon du départ
has two meanings to its name.
Firstly, because the President will leave this room for the auditorium.
Secondly, because there is a desk here, and, rumor has it,
it was on this desk that Napoleon
signed his abdication at the end of the period
before his first exile.
IN THE ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE
Welcome to the auditorium. In the middle of it all.
We are meeting Bruno Fuligni, a historian with a passion for this place.
When did French parliamentarians meet here for the first time?
It's in 1798 on January 21st...
HISTORIAN
… that the delegation of the Council of 500 arrives.
For the first time, France has a parliament with two houses:
the Council of Ancients and the 500.
The 500 arrived draped in unbelievable uniforms,
because they had outfits to represent the ancient legislator's mission.
The official canons are sounded and they take control of the old Palais Bourbon.
They are draped like Romans.
Like Romans, as it's all about the majesty of the legislator.
For a while, the people's representatives were required to wear a uniform.
Even today, the men are required to wear a tie
and the ushers have a small reserve.
So if an MP is in a rush and hasn't had time to put one on,
he can ask for one before entering the auditorium.
Speaking of the turn of the 20th century,
there was something quite particular. Some MPs came here armed.
People came armed to Revolution assemblies and it was even recommended.
All of the assembly's work was to disarm the MPs
to prevent any mishaps.
Even today, when the MPs aren't happy, they have ways of showing it.
For example, by slamming their desks.
But the desk is securely fixed to the bench,
so there is no longer a risk of using a blunt instrument,
like during the Revolution.
An MP in the 19th century isn't quite like today's MPs.
He is, first of all, an orator, I'm even tempted to say a loud mouth.
A 19th century MP is in an auditorium with remarkable acoustics, like today,
but there are no microphones. Those won't come until after 1945.
So, to dominate the auditorium you need a powerful voice
and this is the golden age of orators. People like Clemenceau and Jaurès.
Jaurès can take the stand and talk for 3 or 4 hours without any notes.
Whether in the past or today,
insults and violence have never been tolerated.
One of the President's roles is to put a stop to it
and there have been sanctions.
During the Third Republic, there was a petit local,
a room where an MP causing too much trouble would be locked up for 24 hours.
Has it happened? - Yes, but it gave MPs so much publicity
that it was stopped. - A sure way to be elected.
Exactly, their picture was in all the papers the next day.
So, it wasn't a very effective method.
Are there MPs that lasted a long time? - There have been several records.
One MP from La Gironde died while the second votes were being counted.
He never knew that he'd been elected, his mandate ended before it started.
There have been MPs who served for a long time.
Aimé Césaire served for 48 years at the Palais Bourbon.
Bruno Fuligni, something I find fascinating
are these roosters.
I first thought they were insignias from the First French Empire, eagles,
but they have a crest on the head.
This is one of the last remaining elements
of the 1789 Council of 500 along with the President's chair.
These roosters have such a weird look that,
according to legend, they were eagles who were made to look like roosters,
the emblem of France and the Republic.
We are now in the Salon Casimir Perier,
between the rightwing salon and the leftwing salon.
We are in front of this bronze by Dalou from the late 19th century.
It is the founding scene, the start of parliamentary life,
as this is the confrontation between Mirabeau and the Marquis of Dreux-Brézé.
This is 1789 on the famous day, June 23rd.
The MPs of the third party are getting ready to form an assembly,
the monarchy is absolutely against this
and the Marquis of Dreux-Brézé, the King's master of ceremonies,
who keeps his hat on his head and whose cane is emblematic of his power,
explains to the MPs that they can't stay there and must leave.
Mirabeau immediately confronts him and says:
"We are here by the will of the people
"and will only leave by the force of bayonets."
Hello, Manuel Valls.
Thank you for talking to us for a few minutes.
This is a meeting of the Law Commission.
What was it like to be a representative,
the first time you came here with an MP mandate?
I worked at the Assemblée a lot.
I was a parliamentary assistant as a student in the early 80s.
I thought things would be smooth.
Not at all.
MP FOR ESSONE
I was first elected as an MP in 2002
and entering as an MP,
there was an emotional weight. It is an honor
to be an MP, representing the nation, and that emotion never left.
In the history of French parliamentary life,
what is the basis of your commitment?
Things you think about from time to time when you are here.
You dream about being there for key moments,
especially great Assemblée debates,
or sitting next to or in front of Jaurès,
Clemenceau, Briand, Blum or even de Gaulle.
You dream about such moments. Today we are in a democracy
that is calmer and more mundane.
Are MPs poorer orators than they once were?
Maybe, but many of us consider
that verbs, the conviction of words, or a well written text
have their importance.
Manuel Valls, this is the Salon Delacroix.
We're here for a reason, as this is where, traditionally,
the leftwing MPs meet before or after going into the auditorium.
When there weren't any offices in other buildings,
this is where the MPs would work
on their notes and speeches before speaking.
And, as it is the entrance to the auditorium's left side,
it is where we meet up before or after sessions.
Here it's Delacroix, Casimir Perier is neutral
and the Salon Pujol here is rightwing.
Everyone respects these areas. Sometimes there is someone
who liberates themselves from these areas.
It can sometimes be necessary.
But traditions and group life have to be respected.
There are 25 ushers here.
Hello, Nicole. - Hello, Eric.
We're meeting Nicole. Are you the only female usher at the Assemblée Nationale?
No, there are currently three of us.
Three out of 25. - Indeed.
What's over there?
On Tuesdays from 3 to 4 PM, it's "Questions to the Government."
What does an usher do at the Assemblée Nationale?
We check and welcome MPs
USHER
especially at the start of each term of office, or else they're lost.
The auditorium is quite a special place for them.
So, you're the one who holds the young MPs' hands!
We welcome them on the first day of the term of office.
They're lost. - They're lost.
We also check admissions,
that means, MPs and all other departments.
We act as middle-men between the government and the MPs.
We deliver all messages from the government to the MPs.
There's quite a lot of noise. Some days they get quite agitated.
It happens and we're also here to make sure the debates go well.
Sometimes, when it's agitated, we act as a barrier.
Don't tell me you've already done that. - I have.
Jospin was the PM.
AUDIOVISUAL ARCHIVES
And we had to act as a barrier to protect the government's bench
because some parliamentarians were a bit aggressive.
It's choosing to entrust one's vision of the social problem
to an MP who asks marginal questions
and makes outrageous remarks, that created problems.
No. Mrs. Boutin.
Please.
The legendary Salle des quatre colonnes.
There is no way you've never seen it on the evening news.
This is where the journalists await the PMs leaving the session.
Behind me, you can see Mr. Debré and Arnaud Montebourg a bit further.
They're being interviewed by the press.
This is where they make short statements.
So, this decorum, this Salle des quatre colonnes,
you see it every day on the evening news.
Get a wide shot with your camera. Show it off.
THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND OF THE CITIZEN
I am with Claude Greff. Hello. - Hello.
What are your favorite places here? Are you attached to any in particular?
That you might think about when in your constituency of Indre-et-Loire.
Yes, the auditorium. Obviously.
Because it's really impressive and also really captivating,
because it's a bit like being in an arena.
That's the spot where you will be judged.
INDRE-ET-LOIRE UMP MP
Either by your peers, that is, your parliamentary colleagues, or the people.
It's a place of life and national representation.
There is also the library.
I like going there from time to time
when I'm either angry or frustrated.
Angry because things didn't go my way,
frustrated because a law I didn't like was passed.
In the library it feels like serenity. It feels good.
Is it just the office? - No, it is a place of life.
We're not here 24 hours a day, but not far off.
We start at 8 AM and finish when the debates are over.
Late into the night. - It can go until 3, 4 or 5 AM.
There is catering, a bar, places to work,
our office where I sleep.
Each parliamentarian has a bed to sleep in.
I am at the Assemblée Nationale 3 days a week
to work at a very intense rate.
You sound like you're addicted to this place
to the point that you come back on certain days.
Once you enter it, I think you have it in you.
Which is why I often invite our fellow citizens
to come visit the Assemblée Nationale. It is a grand place.
It is where most of our everyday life is decided.
The Assemblée Nationale is a living space.
There is a post office, a hairdresser's, a doctor, a refreshment room.
Hello. - Hello.
There is even a kiosk. Is this a private kiosk or...
This kiosk's franchise was bought by the Assemblée Nationale,
and the communication service that we belong to, manages it.
I see that you only sell books by MPs. - Yes, by current MPs.
MPs write a lot. - They are quite inspired.
Who comes here? Because the library has all the newspapers.
True, but over half the MPs buy their newspapers here.
KIOSK TEAM MEMBER
Some of them have a tab here that they settle at the end of the month.
What do they buy? The daily press? - That and a bit of everything.
Does a leftwing MP buy a leftwing newspaper
and a rightwing MP, a rightwing newspaper?
Indeed, yes. You identify each MP a bit
based on what newspaper they buy.
Are they nice to you? Because they usually seem in a hurry.
MPs are just people like you and me, they are very approachable.
They listen, they communicate, they are really quite exceptional.
When they are here, they are here to relax.
The Assemblée Nationale, as I said earlier, is a village.
And like any village, it has a post office.
You are in the counter area. Each MP has a pigeonhole.
Hence the name, "post office pigeonholes,"
where they receive post addressed to them personally.
And according to the instructions they give us,...
POST OFFICE MANAGER
… the post either goes to their constituency,
marked red,
or it is sent to the various offices depending on the sites,
marked blue, orange or green.
Then you have mail marked white,
which the MP or their assistant comes to collect immediately.
Each MP receives around 9 pounds of mail every day.
Here, you have the 577 pigeonholes,
actually 576, as the President doesn't collect his mail himself.
We have mailmen who take the mail to the President's office.
This office stays open at night,
as we accompany the legislative work even during night-time sessions.
We'll now leave the Republic walls behind,
to make our way down to the most strategic place
which is under the library and the auditorium.
It is symbolic, as this is where the Duchess of Bourbon's stables were.
This is where the MPs' mail arrives every day.
There are 8 million letters a year.
11 million letters are sent out from here.
Happy birthday.
Give me a kiss.
Come on.
Smile, it's a historic birthday.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Assemblée Nationale's library.
This is Éliane, hello. - Hello, Eric.
You are the manager here, I won't speak too loud.
First question: This isn't a museum, it's a workplace, right?
Absolutely, it's a workplace exclusively for current and former MPs
and all those who work for MPs.
What kind of books are there? I can see old books.
Are they administrative books?
You have the complete legislative production on hand.
Higher up, there are many old books
of an encyclopedic nature.
But they're more decorative...
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES MANAGER
… compared to the legislative books below.
Tell me about this magnificent place.
It was built in 1832,
to house the 53,000 books that the library had back then.
There was a desire to make something beautiful, magnificent,
and symbolic, as the paintings entrusted to Eugène Delacroix
are a summary of the journey of civilization and knowledge.
A little solemnity now, Éliane.
Ladies and gents, you will now see some amazing things
that you will never see again.
Éliane has asked, especially for us,
that people who work here bring some pieces from the archives.
Pieces with massive historical value.
Ladies and gents, I give you, I hope I won't make any mistakes, Éliane,
the original document of… - The Tennis Court Oath.
On the morning of June 20th, 1889,
on the King's orders, the independent party were denied access
to the Salle des Menus Plaisirs where they usually met.
They hide in the Salle du Jeu de Paume, a few streets away,
to take an oath to keep on meeting as long as and whenever it is necessary
until the nation has a constitution.
Some of it is crossed out, they debated over this.
Yes, you can sense a certain buzz in the heat of the moment
compared to other passages
that are a lot clearer.
Yes, it's calmer here. - It's calmer, it's more relaxed.
One very moving document that is conserved here
is the official record of Joan of Arc's trial.
It's from the 15th century and it was all written down.
In 1435, to be precise, 4 years after Joan of Arc's conviction.
This copy is made of vellum, from the skin of a still-born calf.
Apparently, it was the personal copy of Bishop Cauchon,
whose seal can be found at the end.
The terrible Bishop Cauchon. - Here is his seal.
It has been damaged by time, which is normal.
Here is Cauchon's mark
and this is the Vice-Inquisitor's seal.
MINISTERS' BENCH
Did you know that French parliamentarians invented the concept of right and left?
It happened in 1789
and in the constituent assembly, which was in Versailles back then,
they were ruling on King Louis XVI's right to veto.
Some representatives were in favor of the right to veto and others weren't.
So, the assembly's President simply asked those in favor
to stand to the right and those against, to stand to the left.
This geographic organization of politics still prevails today.
The right is over here, to the right of the auditorium,
and to the left, you have the socialist and communist MPs.
We invented the right and the left.
Thank you for joining us. See you next week for a new show.
Subtitles: Babel Subtitling - babelSUB.be