Jacques Serais, edited by Gauthier Delomez 7:31 p.m., May 23, 2022
The new Minister of Solidarity, Damien Abad, accused of rape by two women, defended himself publicly on Monday afternoon and ruled out resigning.
A case that seriously poisons the beginnings of the new government composed by Elisabeth Borne, three weeks before the legislative elections.
"It's a controversy that we would have done well without!", Admits a heavyweight from Macronie to Europe 1. The crisis around Damien Abad, accused of rape by two women, is already destabilizing the new government of Elisabeth Borne, whose appointments were made official on Friday.
The Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and Disabled People, however, refused to resign, highlighting his "innocence".
A crisis that comes as the very first council of ministers of the government of Elisabeth Borne was held this morning at the Elysee.
>> Find Punchline in replay and podcast here
The accusations against the Minister of Solidarity have, in part, overshadowed this meeting, supposed to really launch the second five-year term of Emmanuel Macron.
“No member of the government was aware of these facts”
At the end of this advice, and for her first report, the new government spokesperson, Olivia Grégoire, had no choice but to display a certain distance with her new colleague.
"The line of the President of the Republic and the words of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne yesterday (Sunday) were very clear: zero tolerance for sex offenders, respect, total listening for all alleged victims," she said. at a press conference on Monday noon.
Olivia Grégoire continued: "As often in these cases, the issue here is the establishment of the truth. It is up to justice to do so (...). To my knowledge, no member of the government had knowledge of these facts (alleged to Damien Abad)."
The one who is seen as Emmanuel Macron's war prize on the Republican side becomes a burden for the executive at a pivotal moment, three weeks before the legislative elections.