“Immense victory”, “This does not amount to a court decision”… Political reactions to the referral to court against Aurore Bergé in the private nursery affair

The request for referral to justice against the former Minister of Solidarity and Families was validated on Wednesday by the office of the National Assembly.

The office of the National Assembly validated, Wednesday October 9, the request for referral to justice against Aurore Bergé. The former Minister of Solidarity and Families is accused of “false testimony” for having, before a commission of inquiry into the “economic model of crèches”, challenged everything “personal, intimate or friendly connection, or acquaintances” with a lobbyist for private nurseries, the general delegate of the French Federation of Nursery Companies (FFEC), Elsa Hervy.

The Insoumis and environmentalist deputies are at the origin of this procedure, after revelations from the investigative book by Victor Castanet The Ogres (Flammarion), in which the journalist mentioned a “non-aggression pact” concluded between the former Minister of Families and Elsa Hervy. Aurore Bergé indicated that she had filed a defamation complaint after the publication of these revelations.

On franceinfo, Thursday, Victor Castanet declared that Aurore Bergé had wanted “put out the fire” of the private daycare scandal. In the documents obtained by the investigative journalist, revealed by franceinfo, an exchange of emails from August 1, 2023, between Aurore Bergé and her chief of staff at the ministry, shows in particular that the ex-minister speaks of Elsa Hervy as a ‘“a friend”.

“Aurore Bergé will be held accountable,” says La France insoumise

“Immense victory for the New Popular Front!”enthuses for her part about X the leader of the deputies La France insoumiseI Mathilde Panot. “Aurore Bergé will be held accountable for lying to the national representation”she stressed, adding “we don’t make friends with lobbies that mistreat children when we are minister in charge of early childhood”.

“We, socialists, considered that there was reason to make this transmission to the public prosecutor’s office who will then decide on the appropriateness of prosecutions”added the leader of the socialist group in the National Assembly Boris Vallaud. “It is not a political decision that was taken (…), the office of the Assembly is in no way a body of judgment”he added. The former minister must now “being able to defend oneself against these accusations in court rather than on TV sets”commented for his part the environmentalist deputy Emmanuel Duplessy.

“A simple transmission to the prosecutor”, retorts the President of the Assembly

On X, Aurore Bergé believes that it is a decision “no surprise” believing that the “NFP – majority in the office of the National Assembly – has once again decided to submit to LFI and its unfounded request against me.” “The left continues its political and democratic shipwreck. Next”she added.

“This transmission decision does not constitute a court decision. In no case must the office rule on the creation of an offense, it is a simple transmission to the public prosecutor”tempered the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet, interviewed by franceinfo. “The prosecutor will be free to prosecute or not, and to investigate these facts”she continued. “When I read comments on Twitter [X]some by their declarations want to deceive the French by considering that the Office [de l’Assemblée nationale] has already judged, which is absolutely not the case since it is not within its competence”pointed to the holder of the perch.