As the regional elections in June approach, security is emerging as the major theme of this campaign.

The controversy that swells between the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, and the head of the socialist list in Île-de-France, Audrey Pulvar, is an illustration of this.

The candidate's lawyers announced Monday, May 24, to file a complaint against Gerald Darmanin.

The minister had filed a complaint the day before against the candidate, accusing her of "defaming the police".

Gérald Darmanin had announced his complaint in a tweet on Sunday evening denouncing an interview in which Audrey Pulvar considered "quite chilling" the police demonstration in front of the National Assembly, Wednesday, May 19, and in which the minister had participated. A demonstration "supported by the extreme right, in which participates a Minister of the Interior, who marches on the National Assembly to put pressure on the deputies in the process of examining a text of law concerning justice, it is a image which for me was quite chilling ", had explained the ex-journalist Saturday on franceinfo.

"There has been an increase of roughly 80% in 15 years of attacks against the police, 40% against the gendarmes", insisted Gérald Darmanin Monday on France Bleu Provence, justifying his complaint: "That's why everyone the remarks which legitimize these attacks, which come to affect our police, to take away their honor, like those of Mrs Pulvar which are totally scandalous this weekend, must be prosecuted and condemned. That is what I wanted to do ".

This is a complaint for "defamation" which aims "a succession of words", told AFP the entourage of the minister, himself a candidate for regional in Hauts-de-France and departmental in the North.

A video unearthed by Valérie Pécresse's team

Me Patrick Klugman, lawyer of Audrey Pulvar, announced in his turn Monday to file a complaint for "slanderous denunciation" against Gérald Darmanin, which will have to be investigated by the court of justice of the Republic, as well as a complaint for "defamation" before ordinary courts.

Gérald Darmanin "assigns to silence a candidate for an election, which we can not interpret other than as a gross intimidation maneuver", denounced Me Klugman at a press conference.

The complaint of the Minister of the Interior also targets a video of June 2020, exhumed on Twitter on Saturday by Pierre Liscia, spokesperson for Libres !, the movement of Valérie Pécresse, candidate for his re-election in Île-de-France, specified the minister's entourage.

Audrey Pulvar denounces "racism in the police" in France, during a demonstration in Paris in tribute to George Floyd, this African-American killed by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Asked by AFP about the prescription for these comments - the deadline is three months in defamation matters - the entourage of Gerald Darmanin replied that they could "be paid in support of the complaint to support it".

Socialists denounce a policy of intimidation 

Audrey Pulvar's list, "Île-de-France in common", reacted on Sunday evening by criticizing "an attack on freedom of expression of extreme gravity".

"Until now in a democracy, one could still express an opinion without the minister responsible for the elections feeling authorized to intimidate a political opponent. Full support for Audrey Pulvar", tweeted for his part the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, in the night from Sunday to Monday. 

“Unheard of!” Tweeted in turn on Monday the PS mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.

"A few weeks before the regional election, the Minister of the Interior lodged a complaint for defamation against a top candidate in Île-de-France. Fortunately we are in a state of law. I have every confidence in the justice system. from my country".

Several left-wing politicians, including Anne Hidalgo, Olivier Faure and environmentalist Yannick Jadot, joined this rally organized by the police unions, as well as elected officials from all political stripes, from the National Rally to the Communist Party.

Only those in charge of La France insoumise abstained from participating.

With AFP 

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