Europe 1 with AFP 1:47 p.m., July 3, 2022

Sophie Tissier, left-wing activist and former figure of the "yellow vests", announced on Sunday that she had made a report to the LFI sexual violence monitoring committee about the behavior towards her of MP Eric Coquerel, elected this week as chairman of the Finance Committee. of the Assembly.

"I have just contacted the CVSS sexist sexual violence committee of the FI to endorse my testimony attesting to the unacceptable behavior of Eric Coquerel. It is a form of aggression that must be denounced because it is part of the continuum of violence against women. women”, tweeted Sophie Tissier this morning.

Asked about BFMTV, Eric Coquerel again challenged any inappropriate behavior towards women and began a counter-offensive: "I'm going to look at the file, I'll see. I don't rule out filing a complaint for defamation", he said. he says.

In addition, "the movement now plans to file a complaint against all the people who spread slander (...) on social networks".

Grandstand

"I think there will be no complaint (...), I think it will be pschitt," he continued, stressing that "even a cause just like #MeToo can be instrumentalized".

He finally rejected any parallel between his situation and that of Minister Damien Abad who is the subject of a judicial inquiry after a complaint of attempted rape.

If, according to him, "citizen Abad is entitled to the presumption of innocence", his quality of minister would make it "preferable" that he leaves his functions.

Eric Coquerel also defended his innocence in a column in the Journal du Dimanche: "I am making this column to affirm that I have never exercised physical or psychological violence or coercion to obtain a report, which characterizes the front door of criminal behavior in the field of sexist and sexual violence", writes Eric Coquerel, saying he is "forced to speak for the first time".

"Indignation with variable geometry"

The leader of the LREM deputies, Aurore Bergé, reacted to the initiative of Sophie Tissier by estimating to the Grand Jury RTL / Le Figaro / LCI that it was "in no case internally political parties that must settle such important cases. It is justice that must be seized if there are complaints."

"I think there is variable indignation on the part of the left" on the issue of sexual violence, mocked the president of the National Rally Jordan Bardella, interviewed by Europe 1, CNews and Les Echos.

Finally Yaël Braun-Pivet, the new LREM president of the National Assembly, considered it "sad" that Eric Coquerel "needed" to publicly defend himself from the allegations against him.

"We must absolutely keep right, all, collectively. The machine must not get carried away around rumours. I invite each victim to file a complaint", she launched on France 3.