“This situation is unsustainable.” It is with these words in a press release issued very early on Monday morning that Julien Bayou officially resigned as environmentalist number one. Questioned by his ex-girlfriend who accuses him of psychological violence, the pressure had become too strong. The environmentalist defended himself late in the afternoon by the voice of his lawyer.
His text surprised the upper echelons of the party, without any of the governing bodies having been previously informed of his decision. The environmentalist has obviously decided to bring forward a probable eviction at the beginning of October during the Federal Council scheduled for next weekend.
“Only internal pressures made him finally let go”
Several members of the party leadership had been asking him for several days to step down as the general secretary of the party. Yannick Jadot, discreet since his poor score in the presidential election, also came out of the woods on Sunday and asked him to “stay away” from the party on RTL.
“It is unlikely that Julien Bayou could have imagined remaining national secretary in this context. He clung pathetically and only internal pressures finally made him let go”, analyzes Géraldine Boÿer, communication delegate and member of the executive office, with BFMTV.
“Kafka in the age of social networks”
This member of the leadership had already tried to convince him to resign from the party leadership last week. Unsuccessfully. The 30-year-old had only agreed then to withdraw from the co-chairmanship of the environmental group in the National Assembly.
The tone of his text also leaves little doubt about his desire to remain in office.
“You may know that I am accused of facts that are not presented to me, that my accusers say are not criminally reprehensible, and that therefore I cannot defend myself because they refuse to listen to me. It is Kafka in the age of social networks”, writes the elected representative of Paris.
“He never exercised the least psychological violence”
The pressure had continued to mount against Julien Bayou since Sandrine Rousseau had formulated last week on a television accusations of “behavior likely to undermine the moral health of women”.
The former primary finalist explained in particular having “received for a long time” at home a “very depressed” ex-girlfriend of the party’s national secretary. The member had assured again that they were “obviously several” women affected by these behaviors, referring to an “ongoing journalistic investigation”.
Julien Bayou counterattacked this Monday afternoon in the voice of his lawyer Marie Dosé, assuring that “he had never exercised the least psychological violence against his colleagues.”
“Political ambition cannot justify all crusades”
Before pointing without naming her Sandrine Rousseau.
“Political ambition cannot justify all crusades,” he told a news conference.
The party must now find a new interim national secretary as it must elect its new leaders in the winter. His two right-hand men, Léa Balage El Mariky and Jérémie Crépel, will have to temporarily ensure the missions of Julien Bayou.
Source: BFM TV
