Paris (AFP)
The macronie was block Thursday morning around one of its pillars, the President of the Assembly Richard Ferrand, that the affair Mutuelles de Bretagne returns to haunt in the form of an indictment for illegal taking of interests.
President Emmanuel Macron maintains "all his confidence" in Mr. Ferrand, indicted for "illegal capture of interests" in the Mutuelles de Bretagne case, said on Europe 1 the spokesman of the government, Sibeth Ndiaye.
It is "a man loyal, right, with an exemplary political path," she insisted, asking to respect "the presumption of innocence".
Richard Ferrand was indicted Wednesday evening by a judge Lille, after nearly fifteen hours of questioning. He is suspected of "illegal taking of interests" after the Mutuelles de Bretagne, which he directed at the time, decided in 2011 to rent commercial premises belonging to his companion. He disputes any irregularity.
A first investigation launched in 2017, after revelations from the Chained Duck, had pushed Mr. Ferrand to leave the government after only a month. She had been dismissed by the prosecutor of Brest after a few months. The prosecution had invoked the prescription for the illegal taking of interests, and found that the breaches of breach of trust and fraud were not constituted.
The indictment of a president of the National Assembly during the exercise is a first. Mr. Ferrand reacted immediately saying "determined to continue (his) mission" at the head of the Assembly. "He also assured" remain calm on the outcome of the procedure, given the ranking without continuation of the whole of the complaints of the first complaint (...), all the more since no new element has been added to this file in which there is neither prejudice nor victim ".
"There is no political logic" he resigns, pleaded Sibeth Nidaye, because "a member of the government is appointed, a parliamentarian is elected, when you are president of the National Assembly, you are elected two times". The argument was echoed almost by her colleagues Jacqueline Gourault (Cohesion of the territories) and Sébastien Lecornu (Collectivités) in other interviews.
- Pillar of the countryside -
The other argument put forward is to emphasize the presumption of innocence, as Stanislas Guerini, head of the LREM presidential party: "Let us beware of confusing instruction and condemnation.This indictment is the logical continuation of a procedure opened in 2017, in which he had already benefited from a ranking without continuation ", he reacted with AFP.
In opposition, the first secretary of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure and the president of France's Debbie Nicolas Dupont-Aignan called for his resignation. Republican spokeswoman Lydia Guirous, for her part, judged her position "very difficult tenable on the short term".
His colleague Julien Aubert, "does not ask" the resignation of Mr. Ferrand. He "is presumed innocent," reacted Wednesday evening Sebastien Chenu (National Rally).
The indictment of Richard Ferrand is a blow to the majority, including three other heavyweights, Francois Bayrou, Marielle de Sarnez and the new European Commissioner Sylvie Goulard were heard Tuesday and Wednesday in the case of allegedly fictitious jobs MoDem parliamentary assistants.
Clinging for the time the ranks around Richard Ferrand, macronie wants to protect one of those who were there at the beginning of the presidential adventure of Emmanuel Macron, and who retains a role of eminent counselor.
This 57-year-old Finistère elected Socialist MP from 2012 to 2017 is relatively unknown to the general public despite his rank as the 4th person in the state. But he is "the most important guy in the policies with Emmanuel", affirmed in recent days to AFP a walker of the first hour, himself pillar of the presidential campaign of Emmanuel Macron: "It is It's the smartest, the thinnest and the freest, that's why it works with Macron. "
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