She denounces "the means of communication of the State, dedicated to ministerial affairs, which are used for political ends". Socialist Party spokesperson Gabrielle Siry published a newsletter on Twitter on Monday evening from the Directorate General of Social Cohesion (DGCS). The object of his wrath? A passage at the end, relaying the candidacy of Marlène Schiappa in the municipal elections in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.
The text of four lines refers to the interview granted by the Secretary of State in charge of Equality between women and men to the Parisian on January 9. Problem: this personal news from Marlène Schiappa a priori has nothing to do with government action that usually relays this tool "news monitoring".
Hello @Egal_FH, is it normal to find in the news letter from the Directorate General of Social Cohesion 1 promotion of the candidacy of #MarleneSchiappa to # Municipales2020 in #Paris? Does it fit into @BGriveaux's campaign accounts? pic.twitter.com/F4HaMf65ur
- Gabrielle Siry (@GabrielleSiry) January 20, 2020This newsletter comes from the “women's rights and equality between women and men” service of the DGCS, attached to the Ministry of Solidarity and Health, as indicated at the end of the six-page document that we were able to consult in full. It is sent internally to the ministry, as well as to the network of local correspondents involved in women's rights, and to people who register from outside, such as Gabrielle Siry. If the passage concerning the candidacy of Marlène Schiappa has an informative tone, "it is electoral because it is addressed to potential voters", thunders the head of the PS, who is also a candidate in the 18th arrondissement on the list of Paris in common, the movement of Anne Hidalgo.
A passage "neither sponsored nor validated" by Marlène Schiappa
In article L52-8 of the electoral code, we read that "legal persons, with the exception of political parties or groups, cannot participate in the financing of a candidate's electoral campaign". However, this message "could be considered as financial support, in the sense that the dissemination of such information has a value which would be assessed by the candidates and by the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing (CNCCFP)", judges Romain Rambaud, professor of public law at the University of Grenoble-Alpes and specialist in the electoral code.
"A legal person does not have the right to bring any help, direct or indirect", tonne for its part Jean-Christophe Picard, president of Anticor. "The only information which is supposed to be transmitted by the State relates to the organization of the elections, not to the relay of interviews of the candidates", adds Gabrielle Siry, who also points to an "obligation of neutrality of the public service"
The entourage of Marlene Schiappa, who says she discovered the controversial paragraph on Twitter Monday evening, assured the Parisian that this passage was "neither sponsored nor validated by the minister or his cabinet". And to clarify that explanations have been requested from the DGCS, to know if it is indeed a "blunder" on their part. Contacted also by the Parisian, the DGCS ensures that it is a simple "information" like any other, related to the rights of women. Some recipients "may be wondering what becomes of their minister, and if she is still in office," it is estimated.
At least ten candidate ministers
Jean-Christophe Picard announces in any event his intention to "seize the Prime Minister" on behalf of Anticor. "We intend to ask him to clarify the ethical rules, in particular that the State cannot directly or indirectly support a candidate," he judges. Anticor had already undertaken a similar process with Edouard Philippe and also with the Cnil, in May 2018. Marlène Schiappa's office had just sent invitations to journalists to a book signing session with the secretary of 'State. The latter had recognized an "error", which the Cnil had recognized as being "in good faith".
But for Jean-Christophe Picard, this new episode poses more generally the problem of the candidate ministers, who will be at least ten in the current government. Except that they will not have the right to take advantage of the resources of their departments to campaign. "From the moment we tolerate that ministers are candidates, it will inevitably be full of problems," said the president of Anticor. A circular from Matignon setting out precisely the rules should be issued in the coming days.
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Until then, if the passage concerning the candidacy of Marlène Schiappa "is considered to be electoral, it will suffice to rebill it on the campaign account by saying that it is a mistake, and it will not go any further", judge Romain Rambaud.