The pressure is mounting around Damien Abad.
Recently appointed Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and People with Disabilities, the Republican defector is the subject of rape charges, notably reported by Médiapart.
If he formally contests the facts, he sees the political class divided on his future, while the first council of ministers meets Monday, May 23.
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Read alsoNew government: Damien Abad targeted by accusations of sexual violence
“
Obviously I was not aware
”, immediately reacted the Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, who wanted to be “
very clear on these subjects
”.
"
There can be no impunity, we must continue to act so that women who are victims of assault or harassment can file a complaint
," she said.
For his part, the president of the Modem, François Bayrou, also shared his discovery of the facts.
“Send a strong message to women”
This Monday morning, more political figures took a stand.
In the majority, the deputy Laurent Saint-Martin called for "
caution
".
"
We must allow women to speak out much better (...), and we must also allow Damien Abad to defend himself and therefore not to do justice before it is seized
", put beware the chosen one.
Before enjoining "
not to make a man guilty
".
The nationalist right also came to the aid of the new minister, denouncing in particular "
this society of denunciation and arbitrariness
" through the voice of the vice-president of Reconquest!, Guillaume Peltier.
In turn, Eric Zemmour said to himself "
very dubious about the methods of Médiapart which makes the quest for permanent denunciation
”, and “
very uncomfortable and very sad for this gentleman
”.
Read alsoDamien Abad: "I remain a right-wing man but I no longer recognize myself in LR's approach"
On the other hand, criticism is strong on the left.
For Sandrine Rousseau, “
it is up to Elisabeth Borne to take responsibility
”.
According to the ecologist, Damien Abad must be "
removed from office as a precautionary principle
".
"
You have to protect and you have to send a strong enough message to women that their word matters
," she said.
A message supplemented by that of the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, who sees there "
a serious matter
" and "
a new attention to the word of women
".
"
I think there are clear signals to give
," he said.
If I were Prime Minister, I would say to Damien Abad: "I have no particular reason to think that women lie (...), there is a doubt that exists today, and therefore in the 'be careful of a court decision, I would like you not to be in the government'.
»
For the time being, the former political family of the deputy of Ain has still not expressed much.
In the columns of
Liberation
, the number two of the party, Aurélien Pradié, however, evokes "
strange behavior with women
".
He also refers to "
inappropriate behavior he would have had with collaborators
" in 2020.
