• Tweeter

  • republish

Minister of Ecological Transition François de Rugy, at the parade on July 14, 2019. REUTERS / Charles Platiau

The Minister of Ecological Transition was for more than a week in turmoil, weakened by the revelations of the site Mediapart on his lifestyle when he chaired the National Assembly. The Elysee said that the president had accepted the resignation so that François de Rugy " can defend himself fully and freely ."

Questioned by Mediapart for expenses considered excessive when he chaired the National Assembly , François de Rugy finally decided to leave the government to defend himself better. President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation, pointing out that it was a "personal decision" by the Minister of Ecological Transition.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the former number two of the government gives the reasons that led him to finally throw in the towel: " The mobilization necessary to defend me is that I am not able to assume serenely and effectively the mission entrusted to me by the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister ".

François de Rugy insists at the beginning of the press release on " the attacks and the media lynching " of which he and his family are subject and explains to be " subjected to a rolling fire of new questions and forced to continually ward off new attacks ". " The will to harm, dirty, demolish, no doubt, " he asserts. He announces to have filed a criminal complaint in defamation against Mediapart.

For its part, the site of investigation considers that " the information was stronger than the communication ". According to the journalist Fabrice Arfi, it is a new survey published on Mediapart, this time concerning the use of the professional fees of the deputy of Rugy, who would have precipitated things this Tuesday, July 16th.

François de Rugy used his (non-taxed) deputy mandate fees to 1) pay his dues to EELV and 2) subsequently tax those donations in his tax returns, according to the latest Mediapart survey that precipitated his resignation from the government. https://t.co/lDKRatt4q6

Fabrice Arfi (@fabricearfi) July 16, 2019

REACTION

It is a wise decision that he must have taken in his soul and conscience. [...] It is not for us in the opposition to cut heads, it is simply to say that there were accounts to the French, explanations to give.

Damien Abad, MP The Republicans 16/07/2019 - by Anthony Lattier Play