France: campaigning in his constituency, Borne reacts to the Abad affair

Audio 01:11

On the move in Calvados this Sunday, May 22, the French Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, had to react to information from Mediapart concerning her minister Damien Abad.

AFP - SAMEER AL-DOUMY

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

This weekend, French Prime Minister Borne was traveling to Normandy, where she is running for the first time in the legislative elections.

On the spot, she was overtaken by her national responsibilities, and in particular by the controversy surrounding her new Minister of Solidarity.

Damien Abad is accused of rape by two women, according to the Mediapart news site.

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With our special correspondent in Calvados,

Lucile Gimberg

Second-hand clothes, knitting wool and second-hand goods.

On the village square of Thury-Harcourt, Elisabeth Borne spent more than an hour between the stands of the garage sale, flanked by her deputy for the legislative elections.

Smiling, she accepted the "selfies" and answered the questions of the inhabitants: on the government's promises to improve the health system, on aid for families with disabled children, or even on the planting of trees to fight against the climate deregulation.

Ms. Borne and her running mate Freddy Sertin, campaigning for the legislative elections in Thury-harcourt, Normandy, this Sunday, May 22, 2022. AFP - SAMEER AL-DOUMY

The candidate for deputy in the 6th constituency of Calvados insisted, saying that she was there in "

 local

 " - my family is from the department, she repeated to us -, for these Normans who crossed her for the first time, she was above all wearing her head of government hat.

And Ms. Borne was also caught up, during her trip, by the revelations of the online newspaper Mediapart, concerning her Minister of Solidarity Damien Abad, accused of rape by two women in 2010 and 2011.

Damien Abad, was appointed Minister of Solidarity despite a report for alleged acts of rape sent to LREM and LR.

Two women, whose testimony Mediapart has collected, accuse him of rape in 2010 and 2011. He disputes the facts.

https://t.co/zLg9fxdRis

— Mediapart (@Mediapart) May 21, 2022

Questioned by the press on this subject, the Prime Minister was firm.

There can be no impunity

 ", she said, promising to " 

draw all the consequences

 ", if justice was again seized of these alleged cases.

Of course, I didn't know.

I will be very clear: on all these subjects of harassment, sexual assault, there can be no impunity.

And we must continue to act so that women who may be victims of aggression, harassment, can free their speech, that they are welcomed to file a complaint.

Me, I discovered the article of Mediapart yesterday, I do not have more elements than the fact that the business was closed without continuation.

I can assure you that if there are new elements, if justice is again seized, we will draw all the consequences of its decision.

Elisabeth Borne reacts to the Mediapart article about Damien Abad

Lucile Gimberg

►Read also: Borne government, ministers in the sights of feminist associations

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  • France

  • French politics

  • Elisabeth Borne

  • French legislative 2022