Will a new case of violence against women shake up the Nupes? After the revelations concerning the deputy of La France insoumise Adrien Quatennens, who admitted violence against his wife, the ecologist deputy Julien Bayou is in turn targeted, without the exact nature of the facts being known. It is the deputy Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV) Sandrine Rousseau, invited Monday, September 19 on France 5, who evoked these accusations concerning the national secretary of his own party.
Following this testimony, Julien Bayou withdrew from the co-presidency of the environmental group in the National Assembly, learned franceinfo from parliamentary sources, Tuesday, September 20. However, he remains national secretary of EELV until the party congress in December.
“Behaviours likely to break the moral health of women”, according to Sandrine Rousseau
Monday evening, while Sandrine Rousseau is interviewed on the program “C à vous” on France 5, the collective We All publish a message on Twitter. Feminist activists ensure that the cell dedicated to sexist and sexual violence (VSS) of the party “was seized in July about accusations of violence committed by Julien Bayou on his ex-girlfriend”and deplore that“no action seems to have been taken”.
Hello @EELVthe VSS cell was seized in July after accusations of violence committed by @julienbayou on his ex-girlfriend.
How to ensure that activists are safe? No action seems to have been taken, why? #ReleveFeministe— #WeAll (@WeAllOrg) September 19, 2022
Invited to react live to this tweet, Sandrine Rousseau explained that she had received Julien Bayou’s ex-girlfriend at her home. “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”, revealed the MP. According to her, Julien Bayou would have had “behaviours likely to break the moral health of women”. On the fact of knowing if he should leave his functions as leader within EELV, the ex-candidate for the environmentalist primary contented himself with a formula: “We’ll see, step by step (step by step).”
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
A painful breakup, according to Julien Bayou
Julien Bayou has already spoken on this case. In July, Le Figaro revealed that the cell on violence against women in Europe Ecologie-Les Verts was seized about the ecologist. “The commission was seized following a painful and difficult break” said Julien Bayou daily. According to him, this “does not constitute gender-based or sexual violence or inappropriate behavior towards anyone”.
His ex-girlfriend allegedly “a resentment that she does not hide since 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'”, assured the national secretary of EELV.
EELV reacts
According to information from franceinfo, environmental deputies met Tuesday morning at the National Assembly to discuss the subject.
● After Sandrine Rousseau’s interview on C à vous, on the testimony aimed at Julien Bayou, the environmental deputies meet to talk about it with her this morning at the Assembly after @franceinfo
— Victoria Koussa (@victoriakoussa) September 20, 2022In a co
In a press release published Tuesday afternoon, EELV reacts to the accusations made by Sandrine Rousseau against the national secretary of the party. “EELV’s harassment and sexual and gender-based violence investigation and sanction unit was seized in July 2022 for a report concerning Julien Bayou. Yesterday, several people publicly expressed concern about the slowness of the investigation and possible political influence on this cell” , can we read. Asked by franceinfo about the current procedure and the hearing of Julien Bayou by the party’s investigation unit, the entourage of the EELV deputy did not respond on Tuesday afternoon.
Europe Ecologie – Les Verts is fully mobilized in the fight against violence against women.
Find attached our press release ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/mi2AcxgXbT
— EELV (@EELV) September 20, 2022
“We want to assure them of EELV’s support for the victims of gender-based and sexual violence, would like to remind them of the importance of welcoming, listening to and protecting their words and would like to reaffirm that the investigation unit and sanction must continue its work in complete independence and serenity”the statement concludes.
Julien Bayou withdraws from the co-presidency of the environmental group in the Assembly
Tuesday, at the end of the day, franceinfo learned from parliamentary sources that Julien Bayou was withdrawing from the co-presidency of the environmental group in the National Assembly. The decision was taken Tuesday morning during the group meeting at the Palais-Bourbon, in the presence of 23 environmental deputies.
The leader of the Greens withdraws during the investigation which targets him. In the meantime, Cyrielle Châtelain will chair the group alone. Julien Bayou, on the other hand, remains national secretary of EELV until the party congress in December.