The appointment of Eric Coquerel as chairman of the National Assembly’s finance committee continues to make waves. The journalist Rokhaya Diallo was surprised by this choice, evoking, Thursday, June 30 at the microphone of RTL, suspicions of inappropriate behavior “with women” from the deputy of La France insoumise invested by Nupes. The deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis reacted two days later. In a grandstand at Sunday newspaperpublished on Saturday evening, the chosen one evokes “unfounded rumors”. Franceinfo traces the stages of this controversy.
1Rokhaya Diallo relays testimonies from “internal sources”
The starting point of this affair is the intervention of the journalist Rokhaya Diallo, invited Thursday evening on RTL. While reacting to the appointment of Eric Coquerel as chairman of the National Assembly’s finance committee, the latter expressed her “astonishment” and raised the issue “quite sensitive” testimonials about “the personality” of the deputy of insubordinate France (LFI). “I have several sources within LFI, I have heard several times from women who have spoken to me about the behavior he would have with women”said the journalist, without specifying what this term covered.
Eric Coquerel elected president of the #FinanceCommission @RokhayaDiallo on #RTL : “I have several sources within LFI. I have heard of the behavior he would have with women. So I am surprised by this choice.” pic.twitter.com/ROK2QArITd
—RTL France (@RTLFrance) June 30, 2022
“I am aware that these are accusations”she admitted, after quoting an article from the magazine chatpublished in December 2018 and titled “Insubordinate France prefers submissive ones?” This survey evoked, without naming him, “a manager, now an LFI deputy” accused of “known and common slip-ups” by several young activists of the time. Asked about the absence of a complaint against Eric Coquerel, Rokhaya Diallo argued that Taha Bouhafs, journalist and former Nupes candidate for the legislative elections in the Rhône, had ended his campaign because, in particular, of a report sent to the unit against sexist and sexual violence of LFI, as reported by Mediapart. This organ is responsibleé to receive alerts concerning members of the movement, to investigate if necessary and then to transmit the detailed information to the governing bodies of LFI.
2LFI’s committee against sexual violence has received “no report”
This instance of the party stepped up to the plate on Thursday evening. “For several weeks, the deputy Eric Coquerel has been the object of attacks on social networks bringing suspicion about his behavior towards women. Attacks which have intensified today following his election as chairman of the finance committee”, writes the committee. The cell, which claims to be independent of the political direction of LFI, certifies that it has not “never received any report” concerning Eric Coquerel, “for whatever reason”.
While Rokhaya Diallo simply claims to want “let the light be shed” on these rumours, the committee said to itself “available to listen to women and receive their testimonies” but regret “the circulation of rumors not based on any concrete element”.
3Nupes executives warn of ‘accusations without any evidence’
Guest of BFMTV Thursday evening, Manuel Bompard, deputy LFI (Nupes) of Bouches-du-Rhône, declared that “throw accusations without any evidence” was “very serious”in a context that is just as important. “Sexist and sexual violence is a serious enough subject for it not to be about rumors, things circulating on social networks (…) If Rokhaya Diallo has information, let her direct the people to the bodies set up within our movement. They will be processed”he launched.
The deputy of Seine-Saint-Denis mentions the testimony of a former activist of the Left Party, who had implicated him anonymously in 2018 in the magazine chat. In a new article, published Saturday on Mediapart, she recounts in more detail this evening in 2016 during which Eric Coquerel made her dance. She describes some “wandering hands” around her hips and text messages demanding they get back together. But all this “it was not an attack, not serious enough” to be reported, said this activist to Médiapart. For Eric Coquerel, the proof is there: it was a “flirt”there is no evidence of “criminal facts”he repeats.
The member also questioned the reference to the article of chat during the intervention of the journalist: “I don’t know what elements she has to make the link with this deputy [Eric Coquerel]. I find it quite curious that we allow ourselves to launch this type of accusation when Eric Coquerel was appointed chairman of the finance committee of the National Assembly”he reacted.
For her part, the deputy EELV (Nupes) Sandrine Rousseau declared Friday morning on the air of BFMTV that she did not have “direct testimony” regarding such facts, “whose extent we do not know at all, nor on what this rumor is based”she pointed out. “And it’s not for lack of looking, I really tried (…) to find, because I too was told this rumor”added the elected ecologist, who evokes a personal investigation carried out over the last few weeks.
For Sandrine Rousseau, the dissemination of accusations without proof above all risks “harming the fight of women”. “I send a message to all the victims, if there are any: I will listen with great respect to their word, assured the member of the 9th district of Paris. But as of now, I have no evidence.”
4Eric Coquerel evokes “unfounded rumors”
Eric Coquerel reacted “for the first time” in the columns of Sunday newspaperevoking “unfounded rumors”. “I am making this forum to affirm that I have never exercised physical or psychological violence or coercion to obtain a report, which characterizes the gateway to criminal behavior in the field of gender-based and sexual violence”he wrote in a text published on Saturday evening on the weekly’s website (subscribers).
“Several newsrooms have carried out journalistic investigations”he recalls, believing that “nothing ever came out for lack of having found a testimony that could be related to criminal behavior, a fortiori criminal”. In this forum, the deputy of Seine-Saint-Denis mentions the testimony of a former activist of the Left Party, quoted anonymously in 2018 in the magazine Chat. In a new article, published on Saturday on Mediapart, she now publicly recounts in more detail an evening in 2014 during which she explains that she danced with him. She claims that he had “wandering hand all evening” and evokes “multiple text messages” on behalf of Eric Coquerel so that they return together. “VSIt was not an assault”, she says, adding that she did not wish to enter LFI’s cell because, according to her, “it wasn’t serious enough.” With Mediapart, Eric Coquerel simply recognizes a “flirt”.