The pressure continues to increase.
Twenty-five elected officials from the Loire signed a call on Thursday for the resignation of the mayor of Saint-Étienne Gaël Perdriau (ex-LR), after the publication of an article by Mediapart revealing his slanderous remarks towards Laurent Wauquiez, president LR of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region.
The signatories, including four deputies and four senators (including a PCF and a PS), believe that Gaël Perdriau, also president of the metropolis of Saint-Étienne, “has definitely sunk into infamy and shame.
He now acknowledges having created from scratch an abject and unworthy rumour.
Mediapart released an investigation on Wednesday revealing that Gaël Perdriau had launched this rumor accusing Laurent Wauquiez of pedocrime, before acknowledging, with Mediapart, unfounded accusations.
“He has now lost all form of legitimacy to hold office.
Continuing in office would be an insult to our democracy, our institutions, to the Stéphanois and Stéphanoises”, write these elected officials in a press release.
“If he has a hint of dignity left, he must leave his mandates as soon as possible.
This is the last service he must render to the inhabitants of Saint-Étienne and its metropolis, before answering for his actions in court, ”conclude the signatories, including the president of the Loire departmental council, Georges Ziegler (LR).
The other signatories are mayors and presidents of intercommunality of the Loire, including those of the main cities Saint-Chamond, Roanne and Montbrison, as well as almost all of the regional councilors elected on the list of Laurent Wauquiez.
"Let him take his responsibilities", asks a deputy at the town hall
In Le Progrès on Thursday, other elected officials from the left-wing municipal opposition, and a UDI deputy, Lionel Boucher, are also calling for the resignation of the mayor of Saint-Étienne.
On Wednesday, Bruno Retailleau and Aurélien Pradié, candidates for the presidency of the Republicans (LR), had done the same.
Claude Liogier, one of the deputy mayors, vice-president of the LR de la Loire Federation, for his part announced Thursday the holding at the end of the day of a meeting of elected municipal officials from the majority of the city of Saint-Etienne "to try to stop a common position and ask Gaël Perdriau to assume his responsibilities".
“If he asked me for advice, personally, I would invite him to resign,” continues the deputy.
Read also“He is unworthy of his function”: LR lets go of the mayor of Saint-Étienne, entangled in the sextape affair
On September 16, nine members of the city council elected on the Perdriau list had already published a press release regretting that he did not “retire from office”.
The case began in August when Mediapart published the confessions of the former companion of a right-wing municipal deputy accusing himself of having trapped the first deputy Gilles Artigues by having him filmed, with a view to blackmailing him, in a hotel room with an escort boy.
According to his confessions, this "barbouzerie" had been organized at the request of the mayor - who has always denied any involvement.