July 2017. The communist deputy from the North ascends the rostrum of the National Assembly.
"What matters is to provide real work when remuneration is provided for by law," says Fabien Roussel about the Penelope Fillon case.
The story is ironic.
February 2022: the “Roussel Fillon” trend emerges on Twitter.
In the evening of Sunday February 20, Mediapart publishes an investigation according to which the same Fabien Roussel, now the PCF presidential candidate, occupied for five years the position of parliamentary attaché to a communist deputy without being able to "provide any proof from his work ".
Invited to react in the media on Monday morning, the former journalist said he was "flabbergasted".
“My work with Jean-Jacques Candelier (the communist deputy who employed him) appears on my site, in complete transparency.
There is no revelation.
I am too respectful of the work of the press to question it.
I worked during these five years with Jean-Jacques Candelier, with colleagues.
They will be able to testify to the work we have done together, ”he assured at the microphone of Europe 1.
VIDEO.
Fabien Roussel defends himself against suspicions of fictitious employment
According to information from Mediapart, Fabien Roussel was a parliamentary attaché between 2009 and 2014. He was then paid 3,000 euros net per month.
“My work is in all the speeches, the written questions, the laws written by Jean-Jacques Candelier.
And I was with, and without him, pursuing conflicts in the Douaisis.
I have the work documents.
They investigated by questioning people who are at war against me,” the communist candidate further justified.
Jean-Jacques Candelier expressed his support for him, like Yoann Rispal, secretary general of the communist group in the Île-de-France region.
“I can testify to the work of Fabien Roussel on the ground, in the North.
I went there on several occasions, in particular to visit factories.
Fabien had even organized a snack with the workers, with harsh words that took the guts, ”he tweeted.
I can testify to the work of @Fabien_Roussel on the ground, in the North.
I have been there on several occasions, particularly to visit factories.
Fabien had even organized a snack with the workers, with harsh words that took the guts.
#support https://t.co/NBEwVdF8vJ
— Yoann Rispal (@YoannRispal) February 21, 2022
On the Unsubmissive side, suspected by some of having released a "stinky ball", there is a dead silence in the hope of eventually recovering the electorate of a candidate who reaches 5% of voting intentions in some polls.
“We are not at war with him.
We will not react, because it is not on these subjects that the campaign should be made.
If we talk about this controversy, we will no longer talk about the real subjects, ”evacuates Éric Coquerel, LFI deputy and lieutenant of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Among environmentalists, the criticisms are firmer.
“Everyone knows that when a file comes out in Mediapart, it is true, observes someone close to Yannick Jadot.
When you hear Roussel defend work for all, it's a stain.
During the previous presidential election, the fictitious job did not concern a candidate but his spouse.
Today, it is a presidential candidate who is implicated.
What's the next step ?
When you're on the left, you have to lead by example.
Without, for the time being, asking for its withdrawal.
The support of… François Bayrou
The communist still received support for the less unexpected… That of François Bayrou, boss of the MoDem, indicted in the case of the fictitious assistants of his party in the European Parliament.
Charges that also affect the National Rally of Marine Le Pen.
“
What is reproached to Roussel,
(…),
it is a kind of judicial deviation of things which were, which were, which are absolutely normal, protested the centrist on France 2. And the function of parliamentary assistant is a launching pad for many.
If you take the list, then you will realize that Manuel Valls was a parliamentary assistant, Éric Ciotti was a parliamentary assistant, that Xavier Bertrand was a parliamentary assistant…” A ramp and sometimes an annuity…
