Alexis Delafontaine 10:51 a.m., February 19, 2022

According to our information, the Secretary of State in charge of Priority Education is in difficulty in the pre-report of the internal investigation accusing her of harassment.

Jean Castex and Jean-Michel Blanquer have spoken with her, but no decision has been made for the moment.

According to a minister, Nathalie Elimas has been hospitalized since Wednesday.

NEWS EUROPE 1

On January 15, an administrative investigation was opened by the Ministry of National Education, following accusations of "harassment and mistreatment within the office of Nathalie Elimas".

No one was aware of these facts outside of his teams, until the alert sent to Jean-Michel Blanquer. 

“The conclusions are terrible”

According to our information, an internal pre-report not intended for the public was given to Jean Castex a few days ago, and according to a source at the Elysée Palace "the conclusions are terrible" for Nathalie Elimas, directly implicated.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister immediately spoke with the Secretary of State. 

During the exchange, Jean Castex asked him for an explanation of these accusations and the departure of Nathalie Elimas from the government was mentioned, but "she refused this option".

The Secretary of State remained faithful to her version, although contradicted by the preliminary report, according to internal sources.

According to our information, following this refusal, Jean Castex transmitted this file to Jean-Michel Blanquer.

The Minister of National Education spoke with Nathalie Elimas this week.

Again, his departure from the government was mentioned, but once again "the Secretary of State rejected this offer".

Jean-Michel Blanquer's cabinet did not wish to comment on this subject, justifying "waiting for the end of the investigation".

Nathalie Elimas hospitalized

Nathalie Elimas therefore remains a full member of the government, an adviser defends himself: "it is impossible to make a minister resign against his will, we should have organized a reshuffle."

However, this situation is incompatible with Emmanuel Macron's schedule. 

An employee explains: the president wants to wait to announce his candidacy, and take advantage of the departures of several ministers, "to make the baby go away with the bathwater".

The Nathalie Elimas file will therefore pass among the others, during the reshuffling of the presidential campaign.

Finally, his office ensures that the activity of the State Secretariat continues, but according to our information, Nathalie Elimas has been hospitalized since Wednesday.

She did not go to the inauguration of a police station in her constituency on Thursday.

According to several ministers, an instruction was sent within the government;

"we must ask nothing more of Elimas".

Officially, even if she is still part of the government, in fact, the Secretary of State is in withdrawal.

Contacted by Europe 1, Nathalie Elimas refuted these accusations and claims to be still at work, but specifies taking "a few days off next week".