After staging his abstention in the second round of the presidential election in front of the cameras, Jean Lassalle was caught by the Constitutional Council. The “Sages” canceled this Wednesday, April 27 the 90 votes cast in the town of Lourdios-Ichère where the candidate of the Résistons movement resides.
The French institution ruled that the 2022 presidential candidate had violated the rule on “the dissemination of messages of an electoral propaganda nature on the eve and on election day”. In a press release published on Wednesday, the same day as the formalization of the election of Emmanuel Macron, the latter added that Jean Lassalle’s gesture had “undermined the respect due to the dignity of electoral operations”.
“These actions have, given the notoriety of Mr. Lassalle in the commune of Lourdios-Ichère and his quality of deputy and former mayor, were likely to alter the sincerity of the ballot in this commune”, estimated the Constitutional Council.
The institution created in 1958 also warned Jean Lassalle against possible “criminal proceedings”, which could range from a fine of 15,000 euros to one year’s imprisonment.
Conduct contrary to the electoral code
It was the National Commission for the Control of the Electoral Campaign for the Presidential Election (CNCCEP) which had seized the Constitutional Council, in reaction to the video broadcast by Jean Lassalle on Twitter.
Abstainer.
Explanations https://t.co/QoLouRgpa9 pic.twitter.com/T24jx6vl4s
— Jean Lassalle (@jeanlassalle) April 24, 2022
In his polling station in the town of Lourdios-Ichère (of which he was mayor from 1977 to 2017), the presidential candidate (3.13% in the first round), had filmed himself in front of the ballot box, pretending to vote but finally returning the envelope to one of the assessors to symbolize his abstention.
The electoral code stipulates that “any discussion or deliberation by voters is prohibited inside the polling stations”. Similarly, the president of the polling station must record in the minutes of the day “any complaint from voters or delegates of candidates or lists”. Jean Lassalle’s act, as well as his speech, therefore had to be notified.