“Once the blow has passed, once administrative issues have been resolved, and August has passed, you have to find a job.” Defeated in the legislative elections in June, Pierre Vatin, LR deputy of the 5th district since 2017, finds itself in unemployment. Before this parenthesis of seven years in the National AssemblyPierre Vatin was theparliamentary attaché by Lucien Degauchy.
His first and only professional experience lasted twenty-one years, before succeeding the emblematic deputy mayor of Courtieux. “After my military service, I looked for work,” he remembers. I sent a cover letter to all the parliamentarians in the north of France, whose minds came back to me. And Lucien recruited me in 1996.”
Pierre Vatin, 57, is looking for a job in public relations and communications. “In any field,” he explains. I applied to companies. Things are underway, with national and international companies. But political instability does not favor the rapid return to employment. I hope it will work out… Because remaining unemployed is not my way of seeing things.” And time is running out: two years of unemployment goes by quickly.
He receives €2,565 in unemployment
Since his defeat in June 2024, Pierre Vatin has received unemployment. “Former deputies are subject to the general regime,” he explains. Or 57% of the gross compensation (before tax).” The monthly allowance of an MP is €7,500 gross, or €4,500 net. He therefore receives €2,565 from the deposit and consignment fund. “The MP is neither a civil servant nor a private sector employee,” he recalls. He is a national elected official. Its status is special.”
€4500 may seem comfortable. “But a deputy is not limited to thirty-five hours a week, if he does his job,” continues Pierre Vatin. I worked all the time, except on vacation. Life didn’t stop, however. Since the end of my mandate, my brother often tells me “you are on your phone less often”.”
“My legal knowledge has been exhausted for a long time,” explains Pierre Vatin, holder of a law degree (bac +5) obtained in Amiens. Hence this retraining in public relations and communication. “The desire to reach out to people is still there,” says the former MP.
CDI or CDD
Pierre Vatin still sits on the municipal council of Compiègne and on the urban council. Mandates for which he does not receive money. His intention is not to make people cry in the cottages. He recalls that his parliamentary collaborators have not bounced back since the defeat. “Political instability generates reluctance, on the part of banks and individuals. This slows down activity and does not promote employment.”
This uncertainty can be taken into consideration by a future employer of Pierre Vatin, likely, in the event of dissolution, to run in the legislative elections. “I accept permanent and fixed-term contracts…”, he reassures.
“I have no personal wealth to stay at home”
A deputy in office has an envelope to surround himself with staff, amounting to €11,500 (salary costs deducted). “We can take five people maximum, and when you pay them €1,800 net, it’s not excessive,” he believes. An MP can hire more, but it must be justified.”
For his part, MP Vatin had two parliamentary attachés, two secretaries, and interns. “The more you work, the more people you need to help you, without the State providing the means,” he believes. There are deputies who do nothing and do not need collaborators. When you’re on the ground, you need people.” Especially since voters can criticize a deputy for not being on the ground when he sits in the Chamber. And vice versa! “Legislative inflation is such that the National Assembly must meet every day.”
In addition to this compensation and this staff envelope, the MP receives an operating expense allowance (for his rent, his expenses, etc.). “When it stops, we are on decreasing unemployment under the general system, but the charges do not stop immediately,” he confides. Just as there are charges to be put in place to start the mandate. This is the great paradox: we want anyone to become a parliamentarian. But it’s much more difficult when you don’t have the means. I don’t have the personal wealth to stay at home.” The former MP insists: he does not feel sorry for himself. Indeed, he is not the one requesting this interview.
Originally from Flavy-le-martel, Pierre Vatin is the son of a textile engineer and cotton yarn representative and a mother who is a trilingual “French-English-Spanish” secretary.
“A protest vote”
In 2017, Lucien Degauchy naturally asked him for his “succession”. “I knew that Danièle Carlier did not want to go,” he recalls. Parliamentary attaché of “Lulu” since 1993, she previously replaced town hall secretary in the municipalities of the SIVOM of Attichy. She is the current departmental councilor for Compiègne Nord.
During this period Lucien Degauchy, the center of the constituency was in Courtieux, of which he was mayor. “The general councilor’s office was located in Courtieux, upon his election to the department in December 1985. “He took up the post to serve on duty, then he became a deputy,” explains Pierre Vatin. In 2017, he asked me if I was interested.”
Today, his supporters regret it, he says. “The voters saw things differently, with this protest vote,” he notes. They no longer have a deputy present who meets their expectations…” That’s a disguised “compliment” to his successor, RN Frédéric-Pierre Vos. He is surprised by the latter’s excessive reactions, evoking the video posted to complain about not being invited to wishes. “An elected official invites whoever he wants,” he believes. I myself have never received an invitation from a mayor of a town whose name I will not mention. I didn’t make a cheese out of it.”
“The future? It all depends on whether a dissolution occurs”
And now, how does he see the near future, electorally speaking? “It all depends on whether a new dissolution occurs,” he replies, cautiously. Will there be legislative elections next June? Or will François Bayrou maintain the situation until 2027 and the presidential election? We are in the dark. We will see tomorrow if the motion of censure of LFI will pass… Likewise, the Rn said that it would not vote for censure, but the mayor of Dijon François Rebsamen pissed off a lot of people.”
For the former MP, there is urgency. “There are things to do, which we cannot postpone infinitely: a 2025 finance law, the vote on an orientation law for agriculture, the vote on the fourth “rare disease” plan… All the structures specializing in research are desperate for lack of money. In the meantime, we are being outplayed by foreign researchers.”
Since the dissolution, Pierre Vatin notes nine months without productive parliamentary activity of laws and regulations. “These laws which have not been passed do not create administrative obstacles, but economic obstacles,” insists the former parliamentarian. The French are victims of competition, because we did not request exemptions so as not to be subject to the rules.” He cites the consequences that the Mercosur agreements will cause, if they are adopted. Like what has been happening with Turkish cherries for many years. “We import Turkish cherries while our producers have to sell theirs three times more expensive. While being deprived of identical production rules.”
