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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

niche parlementaire

English translation:

opposition days

Added to glossary by liz askew
Nov 24, 2023 10:33
6 mos ago
36 viewers *
French term

niche parlementaire

French to English Law/Patents Government / Politics Parliamentary procedure
Hello,

See for instance https://www.vie-publique.fr/infographie/290761-infographie-q...

I can describe what it means and how it works in English, but do they have this at Westminster and if so, what do they call it?

Thank you.

(FRFR>UKEN)
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 niche parlementaire (one day per ordinary session of the Assembly where the opposition parties set )
3 +2 Opposition day
4 -1 EDM - Early Day Motion in Parliamentary Session
References
see
Change log

Dec 28, 2023 19:57: liz askew changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/3387455">ph-b (X)'s</a> old entry - "niche parlementaire"" to ""opposition days""

Discussion

ph-b (X) (asker) Nov 25, 2023:
Thanks, everyone!
AllegroTrans Nov 25, 2023:
@ Charlie Exactly. All depends on what the Asker wants the translation for.
Charlie Bavington Nov 25, 2023:
Westminster In truth, ph-b very much IS asking for the equivalent at Westminster. Perhaps the Q is not being asked for the purposes of a conventional translation. If it were, some kind of ref to Opposition Day would be useful, although by the same token I might be tempted to expand a little (...the French parliament's equivalent to OD... that kind of thing, depending on the purpose).
philgoddard Nov 24, 2023:
I didn't know they had opposition days in the UK, but my point remains valid - translation isn't always about trying to find the equivalent in your own country, and sometimes it's downright wrong to do so. Educational qualifications are one example that springs to mind.
Mpoma Nov 24, 2023:
Not with Phil on this The thing about "Opposition day" is that it is totally explanatory, and simple. A, um, day when the, er, Opposition gets to set the agenda and propose motions. The fact that the official English term is also nicely explanatory mustn't be a reason for turning it down. That would be silly.
philgoddard Nov 24, 2023:
ph-b You say do they have this at Westminster, but we're not looking for the UK equivalent. That would be like translating 'Eiffel Tower' as 'Blackpool Tower' :-)

This is not what translation is about, and it took me a while to learn in my early days. Some people, no names mentioned, don't care.
AllegroTrans Nov 24, 2023:
Yes... this is of course a good explanation, but unless your translation is to be for English speakers well-versed in French parliamentary procedure, "parliamentary niche" - without an explanation - will mean absolutely nothing.
ph-b (X) (asker) Nov 24, 2023:
Just to add
that I've seen this https://globalhappenings.com/politics/297016.html of course. Feel free to comment one way or the other.

Proposed translations

+1
7 mins
Selected

niche parlementaire (one day per ordinary session of the Assembly where the opposition parties set )

the agenda)

..

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Note added at 10 мин (2023-11-24 10:43:37 GMT)
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oh, there is an equivalent

https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/oppositi...

Opposition Days


Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons for the discussion of subjects chosen by the opposition (non-government) parties. There are 20 days allocated for this purpose per session (under Standing Order 14).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 мин (2023-11-24 10:46:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Although I think the French term is more restricted, so perhaps leave it as is with an explanation:)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 мин (2023-11-24 10:48:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220604-a-look-at-opposi...

LFI MPs also took advantage of their parliamentary niches, which were granted to the opposition groups so that they could set the National Assembly’s agenda usually established by the government.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 мин (2023-11-24 10:49:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As far as I am aware we do not have the term "parliamentary niches" so I recommend explaining the term.
Peer comment(s):
agree AllegroTrans : I would use your explanatory version: "Opposition days" don't quite equate
24 mins
Exactly, thanks!
agree Emmanuella : Not 'opposition day'
1 hr
Thank you!
disagree Francois Boye : Qu’est-ce qu’une niche parlementaire ? C’est un droit assez méconnu et pourtant essentiel : un jour par mois, durant la session ordinaire, un groupe d’opposition fixe l’ordre du jour du Parlement.
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Liz. You were the first to mention "opposition days" and I was able to check your ref. here: https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/opposition-days/ That answers my initial question ."
-1
2 hrs

EDM - Early Day Motion in Parliamentary Session

> as we will recall from our 'earnest and grave studies' of UK Constitutional and Administrative Law, now coalesced into a subject called public law, alas confusable with public vs. private international (conflict of laws).

Nowt to do with pigeons' nests in UK Parliament: the passage of Private and Public Bills being through the House of Commons + House of Lords + Royal Assent 'necessarily' granted by the Reigning Monarch.
Example sentence:

Passenger pigeon niche : the habitat of the passenger pigeon was mixed hardwood forests. The birds depended on the huge forests for their spring nesting sites, for winter "roosts," and for food.

MPs may ensure the text of an EDM is printed in Hansard by mentioning it by number in questions to the Leader of the House of Commons after the Business Statement (normally on a Thursday when the house is in session).

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_day_motion

Peer comment(s):
disagree AllegroTrans : EDM refers to one single motion (which can be tabled by any MP not necessarily from the opposition) and is not remotely like the full day in the French parliament. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_day_motion. Please re-study your British constitution
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
8 hrs

Opposition day

I am utterly at a loss to explain why Liz, having discovered the right answer, and it is indeed about as perfect a fit as you're ever gonna find in Proz questions, has not seen fit herself to dump her first, incorrect answer and do another.

Liz, if you do that I'll happily delete this one. It would be sort of bad for an answer headlining the wrong answer to just fester here, evilly breeding even more confusion, corruption and misconceptions than normal.
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : Not sure about the festering evil though :-)
33 mins
Thanks. The Devil makes work for idle keyboards.
neutral AllegroTrans : Two different countries, two different concepts with only a passing resemblance. A bit like translating l'Arc de Triomphe as Marble Arch.
1 hr
agree Francois Boye : Two different countries, same idea
20 hrs
Thanks
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

6 mins
Reference:

see

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/cordon-sanita...

Under the rules of the French National Assembly, each political group is entitled to a ‘parliamentary niche,’ i.e., one day per ordinary session of the Assembly, during which it can set the agenda and submit bills of its choice for debate. On Thursday, October 12th, the Rassemblement National, which has had a group of 88 MPs since the 2022 legislative elections, had its own day for the first time in its history. The group of MPs led by Marine Le Pen carefully worked out the programme for this day—a moment traditionally eagerly awaited by opposition groups, which have a margin for manoeuvre that they do not normally have. The RN MPs had to submit a series of texts on duly chosen subjects for consideration by their colleagues, which were both consensual—in order to gain the support of MPs outside of their political family—and in line with their programme and political priorities.
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree AllegroTrans
25 mins
agree Emmanuella
1 hr
Something went wrong...
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