The resignation sounds like a thunderclap as Anne Hidalgo so far began her new term of office haloed by her large municipal victory. Christophe Girard left the post of Deputy Culture at the mayor of Paris on Thursday 23 August, where he had just been renewed. He had since been questioned by elected environmentalists for his alleged links with the writer Gabriel Matzneff, targeted by an investigation for "rape of a minor". The former mayor of the 4th arrondissement was a pillar of the Parisian executive. He was already Assistant to Culture under Bertrand Delanoë - he is the instigator of the “White Nights”. He had returned to these same functions last year after the resignation of Bruno Julliard.
To read also: Matzneff affair: Christophe Girard leaves his post of deputy, Hidalgo "disgusted"
We take stock of this case.
- In what context does this resignation occur?
Several dozen feminist activists and elected environmentalists demonstrated Thursday, July 23 at midday under the windows of the Town Hall, where the first Paris council of the new term was held. "It is not enough to have a clean criminal record to be deputy mayor of Paris, you also need ethical and moral qualities, support for Gabriel Matzneff disqualifies Christophe Girard for this kind of responsibilities" , explained to AFP the elected EELV Raphaëlle Rémy-Leleu. Environmentalists, who allied themselves with Anne Hidalgo between the two municipal rounds, had sent a letter to the city council the previous weekend, demanding the "suspension" of the deputy and the "opening of an investigation of the Inspectorate General of the City of Paris ” .
- What is Christophe Girard criticized for?
Christophe Girard was auditioned last March as part of the investigation targeting Gabriel Matzneff. Between 1986 and 1987, the elected was secretary general of Maison Yves-Saint Laurent, a structure which at the time provided financial support to the writer at the end of the 1980s, as recalled by the New York Times. in February. In return, the latter dedicated The Apple of My Eyes to him , a diary he kept during his two years. More precisely, the fashion house financed during these two years the costs of the hotel room, in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where he was recovering from an eye operation. In this same establishment, Gabriel Matzneff regularly received Vanessa Springora, then aged 15. It is this relationship, which she describes in Le Consentement , which has led her to be the subject of an investigation for rape of a minor today.
- What does Christophe Girard answer to his accusers?
"The demonstrators went very far, some made clearly defamatory remarks ," laments Christophe Girard's lawyer, Me Delphine Meillet. BENOIT TESSIER / REUTERS
The elected representative assures that he only served as an intermediary at the request of Pierre Bergé. " I am 64 years old, a fulfilling family life and many cultural, political and associative commitments, and I have no desire to rot my life any longer and to bother to justify myself permanently for something that does not does not exist , ”he wrote in a statement. Contacted by Le Figaro , his lawyer would like to recall that Christophe Girard was heard as a simple witness in this case. He has not yet been indicted or placed under the status of assisted witness. “You can imagine if all the witnesses heard by the police officers in this type of business should receive the same treatment as my client,” continues Me Delphine Meillet. To believe it, Christophe Girard is particularly shocked by the attacks to which he is the subject. "The demonstrators went very far, some made clearly defamatory remarks" , she laments. A complaint against X should be filed as early as next week.
- What consequences for the Paris Council?
“I am disgusted. In what democracy do we live where the law is trampled on by rumor, confusion and suspicion? ” , reacted Anne Hidalgo. Another strong reaction, that of Jack Lang, former Minister of Culture: “ The forced resignation of Christophe Girard is saddening. This man who fights with talent and courage for the arts, for culture, for freedom is forced today to give up his mission. It is unacceptable ”.
The affair risks in any case leaving traces between socialists and ecologists in the Council of Paris. "We are going to ask for an apology from our environmental partners," his first deputy Emmanuel Grégoire told Franceinfo on Friday. And to add: "It will be more than an explanation. We have a problem, we want to clarify labor relations. ” The national secretary of EELV, Julien Bayou, has since sought to smooth things over, welcoming the choice of Christophe Girard on LCI: "a decision which honors him, courageous and which certainly makes it possible to calm the situation" . "Me, I would not necessarily have organized this demonstration, much less used these slogans (...) that I find shocking", he specifies.
Christophe Girard remains adviser of Paris.
