The new prefect of Ile-de-France is experiencing an eventful arrival to say the least. Dismissed by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, from the ultra-strategic post of Secretary General of the Government (SGG) he had held since 2015, Marc Guillaume is due to take office on August 17 to replace Michel Cadot. But since Thursday, the senior official has found himself at the heart of a controversy. And in the sights of several elected officials from Ile-de-France.
It all started with an article in the newspaper "Le Monde" which reports a note from March 2018 written by all the councilors of the Elysee and in which they denounce sexist behavior and comments at the highest level of the State . According to the daily, if Marc Guillaume is not expressly named, the signatories would have assured orally to their hierarchy that he was the main person in charge.
It is thus he who would have launched to a young enarque: "You, you are going to make a career thanks to your cleavage!" "He too who would have let go in the middle of an interdepartmental meeting about a collaborator:" It is rare for a woman who thinks ... and it is also beautiful, especially when she wears a skirt. Two examples among other sexist remarks.
" Fed up "
The person concerned may have denied "categorically" having made these remarks which are not the subject of procedures, several elected officials were openly upset on Twitter. “This gentleman is therefore my new regional prefect! I won't be able to work with him. Fed up with all this tolerance for a filthy misogyny ”, reacted Marie-Pierre de la Gontrie, Socialist senator from Paris, and member of the law commission.
"It's rare for a woman who thinks" parliamentarian from Ile de France, this gentleman is therefore my new regional prefect! I won't be able to work with him. Fed up with all this tolerance for filthy misogyny https://t.co/Z3Z82djoWT
- mpdelagontrie (@mpdelagontrie) August 7, 2020Same tone from the boss of the PS opposition to the region. "If this sexist behavior were confirmed, it would be incompatible with the exemplary requirement demanded by the function of prefect of the Ile-de-France region", warns Maxime des Gayets. As for the rebellious deputy of Seine-Saint-Denis Bastien Lachaud, he denounces an “incredible sexism tolerated in the very heart of the Elysee Palace”.
The case is talking and questioning even within the deputies En Marche d'Ile-de-France. “Do these misogynistic words and attitudes surprise me? Unfortunately not so much the fight for women's rights, equality, respect is still long in our country. Are they real? If so, they are really serious at this level of responsibility ”tweets Guillaume Gouffier-Cha, LREM deputy for Val-de-Marne.