After the withdrawal, the resignation. Green deputy Julien Bayou announced Monday, September 26, in a press release, that he was renouncing some of his functions: that of national secretary of Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV) and that of president of the environmental group in the Assembly national. This decision follows accusations of psychological violence made by the ex-girlfriend of Julien Bayou and transmitted directly to his party two months earlier. Franceinfo looks back on the origins and the latest developments in this affair.
1A media report in July 2022
We have to go back to July 7 and this article in the Figaro (subscribers only) to find the first mention of a report concerning Julien Bayou at the cell on violence against women at EELV. At that time, the daily reveals, without specifying a date, that this body was seized by the ex-companion of the ecologist. “The commission was seized following a painful and difficult rupture”, then answer Julien Bayou at Figarowhile ensuring that this “does not constitute gender-based or sexual violence or inappropriate behavior towards anyone”.
Also according to the environmentalist, his ex-girlfriend was demonstrating “a resentment” and allegedly threatened him after their separation. “(…) She clearly wrote to me, three days after having seized the internal commission of EELV: ‘Worry. I will come back and in force. (…) The fall will be painful'”, assures the one who has just been elected deputy under the Nupes banner – and who then waits to be heard by the committee of his party.
2Green MP Sandrine Rousseau reopens the file
A little over two months after this article, several feminist groups are surprised that no public decision has been made by EELV. Directly questioning the environmentalist party on Twitter, the collective #NousToutes is worried, on September 19: “How to ensure that activists are safe? No action seems to have been taken, why? A message received by MP Sandrine Rousseau (EELV), who reacted the same evening on the set of the program “C à vous” broadcast on France 5.
Suspicions of sexist and sexual violence committed by Julien Bayou: we talk about it with @sandrousseau in #ThisYou ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/j8Er4kvwV3
— C to you (@cavousf5) September 19, 2022
The deputy for the 9th district of Paris then recounts having spoken at her home with the ex-girlfriend of Julien Bayou. “When I saw this woman, she was in a very depressed state, she was in very bad shape, she also attempted suicide a few weeks later”reveals the MP, who believes that the behavior of which her colleague is accused was “such as to destroy the moral health of women”. Asked about the rest of the procedure, Sandrine Rousseau makes no announcement and evokes a path “step by step”. For its part, EELV declares in a press release that “the investigation and sanction unit must continue its work in complete independence and serenity”.
3Julien Bayou first steps back…
Tuesday, September 20, the incriminated deputy departs from his parliamentary group, of which he leaves the reins to Cyrielle Chatelain, the other co-president. A decision made during a group meeting in the Assembly, in the presence of the 23 ecologist deputies, and described as a media break by one of his relatives at franceinfo. “This situation is not worth resigning”specifies the parliamentary group in a press release.
In addition, several Green MPs take the floor to ensure that a decision will be taken quickly. “We are not waiting to know whether or not justice will condemn, say for example Aurélien Taché, MP for Val-d’Oise and treasurer of the environmental group at the National Assembly, (…) notWe have internal bodies working on exactly what happened.”
4… then resigned from his managerial duties
It is finally in a press release published Monday, September 26 in the early morning that Julien Bayou announces that he will resign without delay from his “duties of national secretary” of the Green Party. He also shares his intention to resign the same day of the co-presidency of the environmental group in the National Assembly. However, he assures that “This does not call into question [son] mandate of deputy, nor [son] present and future commitment.
In letter sent to the activists of EELV, Julien Bayou also denounces a “gross situation” and “untenable”. “I am accused of facts which are not presented to me, which my accusers-ices say are not criminally reprehensible, and which I cannot therefore defend myself since they refuse to hear me, writes in particular the ecologist. It’s Kafka in the age of social networks.” He also promises to explain himself further at a press conference scheduled for Monday at 4 p.m.