Yannick Jadot has engaged in a showdown with TotalEnergies. Ihe French group announced on Wednesday March 23 that it would sue the environmental candidate for the presidential election for defamation, after the latter accused the multinational of “complicity in war crimes” by its activity in Russia. “I accuse Total of being complicit in the war in Ukraine, working with companies close to Putin and Russian oligarchs”reiterated Yannick Jadot, during a press conference held in the afternoon. “I accuse President Macron of a crime. He supported contracts and installations in Russia, he cannot deny his responsibility”continued the candidate.
“I learn that Total has filed a complaint against me… Ecologists are threatened, as in Russia (…) EDF spied on me, Monsanto spied on us, I remain constant for peace and the climate: we will remove lobbies from public apparatuses”, added the ecologist, who regularly points the finger at the involvement of TotalEnergies in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.
TotalEnergies assured Tuesday to stop all purchases of Russian oil or petroleum products before the end of 2022, but not gas. Reacting to this announcement on Twitter, Yannick Jadot castigated the group, accused of maintaining “the essence of its activities in Russia, in full knowledge of the war crimes which they contribute to finance”.
On Wednesday morning, the CEO of the French group, Patrick Pouyanné, counter-attacked on RTL. “When Mr. Jadot accuses the 100,000 employees of Total [de crimes de guerre]it is extremely serious, it is an insult, (…) it is not acceptable”, did he declare. TotalEnergies immediately announced the launch “without delay an action for defamation“against “unacceptable remarks”adding continue “its gas purchase operations in Russia to resell it, in particular in Europe for the benefit of European consumers”.
“To be an ‘accomplice in war crimes’ is to provide direct assistance to a State or to a criminal organization that is the perpetrator of the crimes”, justified the group, speaking directly to Yannick Jadot: “Your remarks are particularly serious and unfounded against our company which does not operate any oil or gas field in Russia.”
At a press conference, the environmental candidate replied to the CEO of Total: “He says that doing without Russian gas is impossible…It has been too long since the leaders [de grandes entreprises] dictate public policies”, he launched.
“No procedure will silence the environmentalists”, for her part, said MP Delphine Batho, chief spokesperson for Yannick Jadot, on Twitter.