The debates were interrupted this Tuesday in the National Assembly after two arms of honor addressed by Éric Dupond-Moretti to the president of the LR group in the Assembly Olivier Marleix. The Keeper of the Seals then apologized to the deputy as well as to the “national representation”.
The Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti sent arms of honor in the hemicycle to the president of the LR group Olivier Marleix who had just recalled his indictment, before quickly apologizing in the face of the outcry caused. During discussions on a text by the Renaissance group for a mandatory ineligibility sentence against perpetrators of violence, Olivier Marleix recalled several cases concerning members of the presidential camp, including the Minister of Justice. Eric Dupond-Moretti gave him two arms of honor, which he acknowledged, ensuring “regret” his gestures, which according to him were “not addressed to the deputy Marleix” but to the attack “to the presumption of innocence”.
Reminder of the rules of @patrickhetzel : “While our group president came down from the platform, the Keeper of the Seals made a finger of honor”, accuses the deputy. “It’s something quite unspeakable.” #DirectANpic.twitter.com/28hGTiqxS6
—LCP (@LCP) March 7, 2023
“Which model”
The Keeper of the Seals is accused of having taken advantage of his position, once at the head of the Ministry of Justice, to settle scores with magistrates with whom he had had trouble when he was a lawyer, which he dispute. The Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR) ordered a trial against the minister, but his lawyers filed an appeal in cassation. With these arms of honor, “you have lent yourself to unworthy behavior”, accused LR deputy Patrick Hetzel on Tuesday, in a first point of order. “I reacted with a lot of vivacity, I want to say that there were around the gestures that I am accused of, words that targeted the contempt he (Olivier Marleix) had for my presumption of innocence”, replied The Minister.
“I’m thinking of teachers faced with difficult students. What a model!”, Launched Olivier Marleix, after a suspension of the session which did little to calm the spirits. “I apologize to him and to all the national representation”, finally declared the minister, pressed by the right and the left to make amends. “It’s something unacceptable. We are faced with something completely new, it’s a scandal”, denounced the first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure in front of the press. “To give two arms of honor to a group president is unworthy of your function”, also pointed out the boss of the LFI deputies Mathilde Panot. Debates resumed after the Minister’s apologies.