"It wasn't a good idea." This Wednesday, the Parisian majority had to extinguish a beginning of controversy. In question: the appointment of Denis Baupin as grand elector in the Senate by the Paris en commun (PS) group in the Council of Paris. The former elected ecologist, 61, left the political world in 2017 after being implicated in a case of sexual assault denounced by fourteen women, three of whom had filed a complaint. "A mistake? A disambiguation? Or a provocation? ", choked the EELV group of the ninth arrondissement on the social network upon learning of its designation.
"This is a mistake on our part, quickly admitted this Wednesday evening, bluntly, Rémi Féraud, the outgoing PS senator, president of the group of Paris en Commun in the Council of Paris, which leads the list of senatorial women. Denis Baupin will withdraw from the list of grand electors. We asked him today. We do not need such a polemic! »
It's a mistake? A disambiguation? Or a provocation? Denis Baupin appointed great elector by the Paris en Commun (PS) group at the Paris Council? 😡 @EELV_Paris @antoinetteguhl @yjadot @annesouyris @JBPegeon @MCrosnier75 @LeParisien_75 @DUTREUILFREDER1 @ghiblinette
— EELV Paris 9th (@EELV_Paris9) June 14, 2023
Forgotten in public life, Denis Baupin was "put away cars", quips Annie Lahmer. Disappeared from political life? "That's great! Let him stay there, "exclaims this Wednesday evening the regional councillor EELV, alleged victim of the elected (Editor's note, the case had been closed without further action because of prescription).
"We didn't pay attention!"
The former elected ecologist, 61 years old, has long been a figure of Parisian political life. Deputy mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë for 11 years, then deputy from 2012 to 2017, also vice-president of the National Assembly, he threw in the towel under pressure in 2016, after being implicated in this serious case of sexual assault revealed by France Inter and Mediapart. Fourteen women reported assault and harassment. If the case was dismissed, Denis Baupin was nevertheless convicted of abusive procedure in 2019, as part of his complaint in slanderous denunciation against his accusers.
It remains to be seen who nominated the sulphurous candidate on this list to be grand electors. "I'm not going to go into details," says Rémi Féraud. Behind the scenes, two elected officials argue that "former minister Emmanuelle Cosse, wife of Denis Baupin now regional councillor of Île-de-France, who has always supported her husband, would have maneuvered with the support of Audrey Pulvar (Editor's note, deputy mayor of Paris). They're friends." Contacted this Wednesday evening, Audrey Pulvar was not reachable.
"Don't look for noon to 14 p.m.," cuts Rémi Féraud. You know, there's this list on an Excel table with 1,000 names. We didn't pay attention! The Senate election will take place on September 24. Half of the seats in the Senate will be renewed. And proof of this is this Wednesday evening, the battle in Paris has already begun.