He says he regrets a gesture that was not premeditated. Gérard Vollory, 65, candidate for the National Rally, took out a photo of his wife of Rwandan origin to justify that he was not racist during our debate on France 3 Rhône-Alpes.
His gesture was very noticed on social networks and aroused many indignant reactions. Gérard Vollory, RN candidate for the 3rd district of the Rhône in Lyon, suddenly took out a photo of his wife, whose black skin, to justify that he was not “in the extremes”
Gérard Vollory, 65-year-old RN candidate was invited alongside Marie-Charlotte Garin, NUPES candidate, EELV activist, Béatrice De Montille LR, and Sarah Peillon for the presidential majority on the set of France 3 Rhône-Alpes as part of one of our 12 debates on the legislative elections.
The debaters addressed two themes during the debate, insecurity, a subject of concern for the inhabitants of these districts of Lyon and air quality.
During the exchanges, the question of the democratic crisis and the “disenchantment with politics” comes up around the table. Béatrice de Montille speaks:
“ We have lost common sense and pragmatism. I want us to find freedom and that the French feel represented, otherwise we raise the extremes” regretted Béatrice de Montille.
Paul Satis, from France 3 bounces back: is this for you, Mr. Villory?”
Respondent’s response:
_ “I am not an extreme”.
_“Aren’t you for the national preference?“ asks the Renaissance candidate, “That for me is extremism!”
_“The demonization of the National Rally does not fool anyone” outbids the NUPES candidate, “you can say as much as you want is not an extreme but from the moment you belong to an extremist party…” The candidate barely finished her sentence when she was interrupted by Gérard Vollory, a photo of his wife in the hand stretched out towards his opponents.
_ “A picture of my wife!” he comments, without adding anything, showing his wife whose skin is black, as a gesture of justification.
_ “Thank you !” he punctuates. And the exchange stops there, Sarah Peillon concluding that “Private life must remain in the private domain”.
End of the discussion.
On the set, the presenter Paul Satis, considered that this gesture was irrelevant compared to the content of the exchanges. Visibly surprised, he judged that the reference to private life and the absence of reaction around the plateau cut short the discussion and allowed to continue on the merits of the files.
Gérard Vollory denies having prepared a political coup and claims to always have a photo of his wife in his files. “I am very proud of my wife and her journey” he says. No one called him a racist but “it was implied” he thinks and “It annoyed me”.
“Maybe it was a bad reaction on my part” he concedes. But it was my first debate and if it could have offended I apologize. According to him, his wife became aware of the strong reactions on social networks and “She would have preferred that I not do it” specifies the candidate.
Gérard Vallory displays on his CV a career as an ambulance driver and building caretaker. Passed by the UMP, he campaigned with Eric Zemmour for the presidential election, then left Reconquête for the National Rally.