The president of the LFI group in the Assembly considers that the alleged facts are not “sufficient” to require a withdrawal.
Mathilde Panot, the president of the LFI group, has decided: Éric Coquerel can remain as chairman of the finance committee, despite the investigation opened last Tuesday for sexual harassment and assault. “There will be no indentation because there is no new element”, she said Monday morning on France Info. A form of response to the EELV deputy Sandrine Rousseau who had called on Friday Éric Coquerel to put himself, the time of the investigation, “withdrawn”.
“When she said ‘no’, nothing happened”
In progress, the judicial inquiry must examine the complaint filed by left-wing activist Sophie Tissier against the Insoumis, for facts dating back to 2014, during a dance party on the sidelines of the Left Party’s summer university. . On BFM TV in early July, she had notably denounced “inappropriate gestures, wandering hands”also referring to “a salacious, sticky look”, “a clumsy dredge” and a behavior “outrageous, offensive, harassing” from the member – which he strongly disputes.
“From what I heard of what was said by Ms. Tissier, I do not hear what is enough to ask for the resignation of Éric Coquerel”replied Mathilde Panot. “What we blame Éric Coquerel for is having in 2014, in a party, danced a rock (with the complainant, editor’s note), and that he would have touched her waist, touched her buttocks and offered to take her back in a taxi. And when she said “no”, nothing happened“, insisted the deputy.
“When this woman herself says it has nothing to do with the Abad case (ex-Minister of Solidarity targeted by an investigation for attempted rape, accusations he denies, editor’s note)and that she does not ask for the resignation of Éric Coquerel, I think that we can base ourselves on that”judged Mathilde Panot.
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